


in the golden hour

by aleclove



Series: miles & miles [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: (Izzy liked a shirtless picture of Magnus from Alec's Instagram), (how do i even start this), AND THAT'S HOW THEY MET, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Crack, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Good Sibling Isabelle Lightwood, I really hope you like it, Lightwood Siblings Feels, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Magnus works for a travel agency and Alec is a business student, Meet-Cute, Past Abuse, Ragnor is ALIVE and an A+ friend to Magnus, and Raphael is overprotective af, angst (they're very emotional in this and i love them), communication is love, internet best friends, okay i think i'm done now!, soft boyfriends in love!, surprise meeting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-02-13 10:58:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 26,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12982614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleclove/pseuds/aleclove
Summary: "If I were there right now, what would you do?"It’s a silly thing, really. The first few times it was said aloud Alec couldn’t fight the rush of heat to his cheeks; couldn’t keep himself from stuttering out a reply and trying to change the topic. Now, though, it’s become something else, taking on a life of its’ own until it became central to what he and Magnus share. Maybe the question is hypothetical in nature, but when Magnus is telling Alec how badly he wants to kiss him? It doesn’t feel that way. In fact, for a few precious minutes, Alec doesn’t feel the distance at all.//Or, the one where Magnus is in London, Alec is in Brooklyn, and Izzy hates the Atlantic Ocean more than both of them combined.





	1. Magnus

 

* * *

_"Love, we're going home now,_  
_Where the vines clamber over the trellis:_  
_Even before you, the summer will arrive,_  
_On its honeysuckle feet, in your bedroom._  
  
_Our nomadic kisses wandered over all the world:_  
_Armenia, dollop of disinterred honey:_  
_Ceylon, green dove: and the Yang-Tse with its old_  
_Old patience, dividing the day from the night._  
  
_And now, dearest, we return, across the crackling sea_  
_Like two blind birds to their wall,_  
_To their nest in a distant spring:_  
  
_Because love cannot always fly without resting,_  
_Our lives return to the wall, to the rocks of the sea:_  
_Our kisses head back home where they belong."_

\- Pablo Neruda, Sonnet XXXIII

* * *

 

It’s a game the two of them play, Alec and Magnus.

To be honest, Alec isn’t sure which one of them started it.

But it’s something they’ve kept up nonetheless, especially on days when it hurts to think about Magnus in London and Alec in New York, when the distance spans long and hard between them and Alec can’t quite breathe in the space of all those miles. It’s all they’ve ever known—he’s never seen Magnus in person, never held him or kissed him (or kissed _anyone_ , for that matter.)

It started with an Instagram post.

//

**| one year ago | _  
_**

“Iz, have you seen my—oh,” Alec says, stock-still in the doorway. He frowns, eyes narrowing at his sister. “Why do you have my phone? I was looking for that.”

“Couldn’t find mine, so I borrowed yours to call it. And then I got bored, so I made an Instagram account for you. You know, if you’re not going to use these apps, you might as well delete them.”

Isabelle sighs, patting the space next to her on the couch. Alec rolls his eyes before moving to join her.

“I didn’t want them in the first place,” Alec says, leaning over Isabelle’s shoulder to peek at the screen. “And I don’t want an Instagram account. What am I supposed to do with that?”

“What anyone else does,” she responds, voice patient, “post pictures. Sunsets, or food, or—”

Suddenly, there’s a phone directly in front of Alec’s face. He blinks, stunned, before Isabelle pulls the phone down, red-painted fingers flying over the onscreen keyboard.

“There,” she says, smiling and turning the screen for Alec to see. “Your first post. See how easy that was?”

Alec surges forward, hands grabbing for the phone. But Isabelle is clearly anticipating this—she jumps up and out of Alec’s reach, holding his phone above her head. As if that would prevent Alec from reaching it…it doesn’t matter, though. She’s grinning at him like she’s won. Both Alec and Isabelle know that she has.

“Delete it,” he groans. “Come on, Iz, it’s not even—you’re wasting your time with this. No one even knows that account exists except for you.”

“That’s the beauty of hashtags, big brother.” Isabelle looks up for a few seconds, smiling at Alec. “It gives you an audience, and helps you build a follower base. All you have to do is like a few photos, follow an account or two, and then you’re set, all of which I’ve already done for you. You’re welcome, by the way. Oh, stop rolling your eyes at me, Alec, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s something else for you to look at while you’re waiting for new lives to generate on Candy Crush.”

Alec catches the phone as Isabelle tosses it to him. He puts it in his pocket, ignoring her pout.  

“Fine, fine. I won’t delete the account, okay? Let’s just go, before it gets too late. Jace is probably waiting for us by now, and you know how he is when we’re late.”

Isabelle smiles, standing up and looping her arm through his. Alec grabs his keys, and together, they head out the door.

It’s easy for Alec to forget about the Instagram account after that.  
  
//  
  
Alec is laying in his bed later that night messing around on Dots when his screen lights up with an Instagram notification from someone he doesn’t know.

At first, it catches him off guard—the phone buzzes in Alec’s hand, nearly causing him to drop the device on his face.

> _10:52 pm – magicalmagnus liked your photo._

It buzzes again. And again. Two new notifications—both from Instagram, both from the same account.

> _10:53 pm – magicalmagnus left a comment on your photo: Well, hello to you too <3_
> 
> _10:53pm – magicalmagnus has requested to follow you._

Curiosity gets the better of him. Alec clicks the link, opening up the app to see who on earth ‘magicalmagnus’ is—and promptly stops breathing at the sight that greets him.

There in the most recently uploaded photo is the most gorgeous guy Alec has ever seen. And he’s shirtless, and sweaty, and god, it’s embarrassing how fast Alec clicks the picture, turning up his brightness to get a better look—

Only to find that whoever he is, this Magnus guy is somewhat of a celebrity. This picture alone has almost 8,000 likes, including one from Alec’s own account. That’s odd, given that Alec would certainly remember having seen this picture before, unless…

Izzy’s earlier words about hashtags and liking pictures come back to him. Alec moans pitifully, locking the phone when it becomes too embarrassing to look at. Of course, his sister would ‘like’ all these pictures of cute guys. Alec feels stupid for not stopping her when he had the chance, because now, he has no choice but to respond to this.

His phone vibrates on the mattress. Alec takes a deep breath…well, whoever this ‘ _magicalmagnus_ ’ guy is, he keeps liking Alec’s photos. Photos Alec didn’t even post, didn’t bother to check earlier after catching Izzy with his phone and carting her off to lunch with Jace.

And now Alec has to deal with this. As embarrassed as he is about the whole thing, it’s a little too late to unlike any of the photos now…and it would be rude to ignore the notifications and comments, right? Especially since Isabelle made the first move—not that _magicalmagnus_ is aware of this very important fact.

Alec sighs, swiping his thumb across the screen. After a moment’s hesitation, he accepts Magnus’s follow request and sends one of his own. While he waits for a response, Alec decides to scroll through the rest of Magnus’s photos out of curiosity.

The second most recent post is a picture of what Alec guesses is a sunrise, silhouetting a coffee mug shaped like a cat. It makes him smile, eyes crinkling at the corners. He wonders what kind of person Magnus is, to have a mug like that. To take a photo like that. Does he like to watch the sunrise each day as it kisses the edges of hills and valleys? Does the sight of it take his breath away, like it often does for Alec? Does he even own a cat? There's a breathlessness to it; Alec's desire to know more. He can't remember the last time he's wanted to know someone so badly.

His thumb slips. He clicks "Like" accidentally, little red hearts popping up on his screen. Once it's done, though, Alec doesn't want to take it back. After all, it's a very nice photo. And, realistically speaking, it's not that bad of a situation. At least this one isn't another shirtless picture like the posts Isabelle 'liked' on his behalf earlier. It's just a sunrise. A nice, innocent sunrise, with a coffee cup shaped like a cat.  _Yeah,_ Alec reasons, this one feels safe.

A notification blinks into existence at the top of Alec's phone screen, announcing that his follow request has been approved, and would he like to message _magicalmagnus_ to say hello? It’s as good of a place to start as any, he figures. And if Alec smiles when Magnus's reply comes through mere seconds after sending his own message…well, no one needs to know.  
   
//

 **|** **present day**   **|**

It started with an Instagram post. A shirtless selfie, and a sunrise, and god, it makes Alec dizzy to think of how close he came to never knowing Magnus at all.

It's the truth, and it scares him: if not for Izzy and her constant meddling in Alec’s social life, he might be existing without the best friend he's ever had. Before all of this, Alec would’ve told anyone willing to listen that social media was a waste of time. He’s always thought of it as an in-between world of sorts, people on the subway face-down in their devices, oblivious to the stations rolling by and the guy with the guitar singing for his supper three seats down.

Before _magicalmagnus_ , Alec would have sooner left his own phone at home. He hated the idea of becoming so addicted to something so…variable.

Now, though? He and Magnus live in the in-between. In fact, Alec has never been so active on social media in his life. Now, he and Magnus have a Snapchat streak he has to keep up with. Now, Alec has to check Instagram at least three times a day in order to like Magnus’s selfies and food posts before anyone else sees them. And then there’s the Whatsapp messages, the Facetime calls, the voicemails and Skype dates…

Now, Alec has Magnus, and he knows just how powerful that connection can be. A simple notification can escalate his day from awful to amazing; can make his heart pound and his eyes water as the miles between them weep rain-drop rivulets down the lecture hall window.

Alec loves social media, because it brought him to Magnus. Magnus, his best-friend-turned-boyfriend, who currently lives in London, approximately 3,450 miles away from Alec’s too-small Brooklyn apartment.

Even though the distance is all they’ve ever known, Alec loathes it just the same. There are days where he misses Magnus so intensely, he can barely bring himself to get out of bed. Most of the time, though, it’s a constant sort of ache. Alec goes to work, goes to his college classes, and goes home. He talks to Magnus a lot. Alec lives for their in-between.

And that’s why their little game is so important to Alec.

“ _If I were there…what would you do?”_

It’s a silly thing. The first few times it was said aloud Alec couldn’t fight the rush of heat to his cheeks any more than he could keep himself from stuttering out a reply and trying to change the topic. Now, though, it’s become something else, taking on a life of its’ own until it became central to what he and Magnus share. Maybe the question is hypothetical in nature, but when Magnus is telling Alec how badly he wants to kiss him? It doesn’t feel that way. In fact, for a few precious minutes, Alec doesn’t feel the distance at all. There’s a sort of closeness that comes with it, a home for the two of them even though they're miles apart.

So yes, it’s silly, and to anyone passing by, it probably sounds like he and Magnus are having very stereotypical phone sex. But it’s _their_ thing, and Alec wouldn’t trade it—or Magnus Bane—for all the normal phone conversations in the world.  
  
//

Alec’s day starts out normally enough.

He wakes up, goes for a run, comes back, showers. Summer vacation started three days ago and his manager insisted he take a few weeks off to ' _relax, Alec, you deserve a bit of a break,'_   so Alec isn’t planning on going anywhere today. He puts on an old pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, settling back against the cushions of his couch with his laptop.

Alec didn’t get to Skype Magnus last night because apparently, Ragnor was having some sort of band practice in he and Magnus’s shared living room. Alec was unaware that Ragnor was even in a band…but from what Magnus has told him about his college-friend-turned-roommate, it isn’t surprising news. Instead, the two of them messaged on Facebook, talking for about 30 minutes before Magnus got tired and went to sleep very, very early. It was a strange conversation, one that Alec’s still thinking about. Magnus hadn’t seemed himself. Still, though, Alec was happy to talk to him, if only for a little while. He’s always happy to talk to Magnus.

That was the last time they spoke. It’s been 14 hours, 11 minutes, and—a quick glance at his phone—43 seconds since then. Not that Alec’s been counting.

Alec misses him, plain and simple. This silence isn’t something he’s used to. Usually, they’ll Facetime during Magnus’s lunch break at work. Or, if Magnus is out with friends, they’ll text, or use Messenger. And no matter what, they have a standing Skype date once every day, 5:00pm Magnus’s time, and noon Alec’s. It’s the highlight of Alec’s day without a doubt.

He stares at the Skype icon on his screen, wishing he could will Magnus online. Alec can’t do that, so instead, he picks up his phone, sending him a quick text.

> 11:31am – _Hey. Hope work isn’t too bad today…if you’re still there, tell Cat to take it easy on the newbie. Don’t want her scaring anyone else away and sticking you with all the extra hours again_ _:)_
> 
> 11:31am – _I miss you. Can’t wait to see you on Skype._

He waits a few moments, but Magnus doesn’t respond. Alec sighs and flops back against the cushions. He knows he’s being silly, but worry flutters uselessly in his stomach all the same. Magnus probably had to stay late at work today. His phone might’ve died on the train, he probably forgot his charger. Alec smiles in spite of the weird mood he’s currently in—Magnus always has been forgetful.

//

Magnus misses their Skype date. It’s not the first time this has happened, but it’s the first time it’s happened without so much as a text explaining what’s going on. Nausea pitches in Alec’s stomach, heart somewhere in his throat as the minutes drag on in silence. And then the minutes turn into hours. Maybe he was right to worry after all. All his calls to Magnus’s phone are going straight to voicemail and he’s not responding to any sort of message. Alec is positive he’s going to throw up.

He tries to distract himself any way he can think of—laundry, dusting, folding and refolding the clothes in his dresser until his apartment is spotless—but Alec’s thoughts are louder, sharper than any method he might have to quiet them.

2:45pm. Alec’s phone is still silent, face-up on the coffee table.

Alec has never hated the silence more.

//

The clock strikes 3:00pm, and Alec cracks, dialing the number of a police station in London with shaking hands. He doesn’t get the chance to complete the call, however—the phone lights up in his hands at 3:02pm, Magnus’s smiling face flashing on Alec’s screen.

Alec chokes and nearly drops the damn thing in his haste to accept the call.  

“Magnus,” Alec murmurs, dizzy with relief. “There you are. I was worried something had happened to you.”

Magnus’s response is breathless. Briefly, Alec pictures him running all the way home from work. If he were to voice this, Alec is certain Magnus would laugh at him, fond and warm, before making a joke about the cost of his shoes. He keeps the thought to himself instead.

“Alexander, my darling. I apologize for worrying you, and for missing our call. I had something important I needed to take care of that took longer than anticipated.” A pause—Magnus sighs, soft and wistful. Alec’s mouth is open, a million questions running through his mind. He doesn’t get the chance to ask any of them, though.

“If I were there right now, what would you do?”

It’s not an odd question, coming from Magnus, but the timing is, and it makes Alec pause all the same. Still, he can’t just _not_ answer. That’s not how this game of theirs works.

“I’d kiss you,” Alec starts, eyes closing as he pictures it. “I know I say that all the time, Magnus, but it’s all I can think about lately. I’d grab you, and kiss you, and I don’t think I’d ever stop.”

“Yeah?” Magnus says, voice soft and syrupy. “Do it, then.”

Alec blinks. That doesn’t make any sense.

“What?” he echoes dumbly, because it’s impossible. Magnus is in London. Magnus is 3,450 miles away from him, so yes, as much as Alec would like to make good on his word, it’s not possible. Because Magnus is in London, and Alec is in New York. Magnus is—

There’s a knock at the door. It’s as if every cell; every molecule in Alec’s body freezes. He can feel the staccato rhythm of his heart, can hear the thunderous rush of his own breathing, but Alec is watching himself from above, held back from experiencing the moment by an immovable force. It's beyond hope, more treacherous than desire, and there's a voice in his head screaming  _wait, stop,_ none of this is happening for real.

_No, no, no, it can’t be. Magnus is in London. Magnus is in London, and Alec is in New York, and there are 3,450 miles between them, 3,450 fucking torturous miles and an endless stretch of ocean and Magnus can’t be here, he’s not, he’s—_

Before Alec is fully aware of it, he’s crossed the room in three long strides, fingers wrapping around the door handle. He yanks it open carelessly, his entire body vibrating with a sort of restless thrum, and god, there’s no way, there’s _no fucking way._ The door slams against Alec’s wall with a loud crack. Alec doesn’t give a shit about the paint, about the wall, about anything, other than what— _who—_ is on the other side of that door.

It’s Isabelle. She’s standing there, dressed impeccably as always. Alec feels sick for the crushing disappointment that follows as soon as he sees her. He’s an idiot, that’s all. A foolish, hopeful, romantic idiot.

“Well, big brother. Don’t look so happy to see me, then.”

Isabelle shoulders past him, pushing her way into his apartment without waiting for an invitation. She scans the length of Alec’s outfit with a critical eye as she moves past. Alec stands stock still in the doorway, caught between the unexplained sobs building in the back of his throat and the radio silence on Magnus’s line of their phone call.

It’s the disappointment that keeps him from noticing the phone in her hand immediately, the camera of which is aimed directly at Alec. When he does notice it, he frowns, confusion creasing his brow.

Alec is about to ask her about it when finally _,_ Magnus deems it necessary to speak up.

“I know I’m a bit late—and not the fashionable kind,” Magnus starts, words tumbling out in an uncharacteristic rush, “but if you’d like, we can Facetime now. I miss that gorgeous smile of yours.”

“Right, sure,” Alec says, voice thick as he pulls the phone away from his ear to fumble with it. He coughs nervously, desperate to clear the emotion from his voice. As dumb as he feels for expecting Magnus on his doorstep, Alec knows having to explain it to Magnus would make him feel even worse. “Right, just—give me a second.”

Isabelle moves closer, phone trained on Alec as she leans against the wall. Her smile is all Jace, bright eyes glinting with the sort of trouble that normally has Alec heading straight for the hills. Alec doesn’t have time to question that right now, though, not with everything around him threatening to give way under his feet. He presses the button to start the video chat just as Magnus opens his.

 _Bright._ At first, there’s nothing but blinding white light coming from Magnus’s end. He’s outside, from the looks of it, which would explain the camera’s inability to focus. Alec squints at his screen, holding it up for a closer look.

Magnus, who is finally in focus, waves at Alec on the screen, a cute little wag of his fingers that always makes Alec’s heart skip.

“Hello, darling,” Magnus says in that same breathless tone from earlier, “there you are.”

“Here I am. Where are you, anyway? It’s really bright, I can barely see anything.”

Magnus laughs, sudden and warm. He steps under the cover of an awning on the street, shadows dancing across his cheekbones.

“Better?”

“Yeah, much. I—”

For the second time that day, Alec freezes, words dying on the tip of his tongue, because there’s _no way_ Alec is seeing what he thinks he’s seeing.

There’s a bodega at the bottom of Alec’s apartment building that he’s been going to ever since he moved out of the city. He and the owner, Luke, are on a first-name-basis by this point, given that he married Alec's manager Jocelyn over the summer and have since become something akin to family. Most mornings, Alec’s coffee is already waiting for him on the counter when he tumbles out of his building, headed to class or work or out with his siblings. Realistically, Alec supposes it looks like any other bodega in New York, with its’ dull-yellow sign and iron-gridded windows covered in a thick layer of grime and dust, but as ordinary as it is, he’d recognize it anywhere.

There, just behind Magnus’s head, Alec can see the faded blue window cling advertising prepaid phone lines that he’s faced with every morning as he opens the bodega doors. It’s almost illegible by this point, that sign—but Luke refuses to take it down on principle, claiming it adds ‘character.’ As a result, Alec reads that damn sign every single morning.

He’s reading it right now, on the screen of his phone.

Magnus is—he’s standing in front of Alec’s bodega. He can’t be, it’s impossible, but he’s there, beaming from ear to ear at Alec. Alec can’t _breathe._

“Magnus…” Alec manages, hoarse and broken. _No. No, there’s no way._ Alec just can’t do it. He can’t let that hope rise again only to have it all be some trick, a green screen, photoshop, a picture, maybe—but it’s everything he’s ever wanted. Everything he’s told himself he’ll never actually have. “What—I, what—”

“It’s okay,” Magnus replies, voice impossibly soft, and _fuck_ , Alec’s chest aches. “It’s okay. Me too.”

It means everything to Alec, because Magnus gets it. Knows what needs to be said without Alec needing to say much of anything at all. And as vague as Magnus’s answer was, Alec can feel the weight behind each word…the air comes rushing back to him as he finally manages to suck in a breath.

“ _I’m here, it’s okay, it’s real.”_

_“Yes, me too—I’m terrified too.”_

_“Alexander, Alexander.”_

Alec is three seconds away from melting into the floorboards. He takes a deep, steadying breath, mind racing desperately as he searches for something—anything, to focus on. He just needs to ground himself, needs a second to get himself together before any of this sinks in. Before Alec walks down those stairs and across the street to his bodega, to his boyfriend, to his best friend and confidant and the man he’s quite probably fallen in love with.

“ _If I were there right now, what would you do?”_

Alec’s feet find the first stair quickly after that. His hand trembles along the banister as he stumbles down, one flight giving way to another until he’s standing at the bottom.

The door to Alec’s apartment building is beyond heavy. Izzy always complains about it whenever she comes to visit. It’s featherlight today, though, and Alec opens it without a second thought.

 _Bright._ There’s nothing but blinding white sunlight, but Alec doesn’t care one bit, blinking into it as he turns his head to the right. His heart is in his throat and he’s struggling to breathe again, it’s too much and not enough and Alec _misses Magnus, he misses him so badly and he wants—_

“Turn around, Alec.” Izzy says from over his shoulder, voice cracking. “Turn around.”

Alec does.

Time stops, and the world around them collapses to dust. There’s only room for the two of them, for he and Magnus, in this world they’ve created together, through phone calls and Skype sessions, and Instagram and Snapchat. Their lovely, lonely in-between. Up until now, that's all they've had, all they've ever known. Despite the omnipresent ache of having Magnus so far away Alec had grown accustomed to the thought of it. Magnus is in London. That's just how it is. He'd rather spend a thousand sleepless nights awake cursing time zones than a single minute without Magnus by his metaphorical side.

It's not metaphorical anymore. Now, Magnus is standing right in front of him, people shoving past an immobile Alec on the sidewalk as he stares. There are others there but Alec doesn't see them. Doesn't hear them.

Magnus is standing there, with Alec's bodega in the background. Time stops. And then it explodes into motion, taking every coherent thought Alec has ever had along with it.

//

The thing is, Magnus is the most gorgeous person Alec has ever seen.

He’s known this forever now. Alec has eyes, after all, and an excellent internet connection—it would be impossible not to notice how beautiful Magnus is. Still, though. No amount of Instagram creeping could’ve prepared Alec for this.

Magnus is stunning. There’s pink in his hair today, painted streaks curling up and over as the strands fall to brush Magnus’s forehead. His buttoned blouse is open to mid-chest, showing off a stretch of warm skin Alec wants to drag his tongue across, and his pants are too tight to be anything but painted on, following the sweep of Magnus’s long legs _down, down—_ straight to the depths of Alec’s wildest fantasies.

There are a million things Alec wants to do, now that Magnus isn’t a million miles away. He’s pictured the two of them meeting before, and in all his daydreams, Alec would be kissing Magnus senseless by now.

It’s a real shame that Alec’s forgotten how to move his feet. Or breathe. Thankfully, Magnus seems just as frozen as he is, staring right back with blown pupils and a shaky, nervous smile.

“Hello, Alexander.”

 _Alexander._ It sounds even better in person, warmer and richer, the syllables rolling off Magnus's tongue like a love song. Awareness crashes over him in sharp waves. Alec feels the distance between them on the sidewalk like a palpable ache. 

_“If I were there right now, what would you do?”_

There’s nothing Alec hates more than distance. Magnus is here now, in Brooklyn, with no ocean between them and no waves breaking against Alec’s iron-clad composure, wearing him down more with each passing day until there’s nothing left of him at all.

The spell breaks. _No more distance._ Alec takes off like a shot.

It takes about three seconds for him to reach Magnus, and he pulls him into his arms, Magnus meeting him halfway with a broken little chuckle that sounds a lot like a cry.

He’s here. Alec buries his face in Magnus’s hair, inhaling deeply as Magnus’s shaking hands map their way across Alec’s back. Izzy squeals loudly from somewhere in the background, but Alec barely notices it, incapable of thinking about anything except Magnus’s arms around his waist, Magnus’s face buried in his shoulder, breath hot and unsteady on his neck, Magnus’s cologne and the way he smells _so fucking good,_  just like Alec always imagined he would...

Magnus is solid and real and really close to Alec _._ Magnus is in New York, in Alec’s arms. Magnus is—

Magnus is sobbing, choked sounds slipping from his mouth as his hands scramble for purchase on the fabric of Alec’s shirt.

“Magnus,” Alec says, panic surging. “Magnus, fuck. What's wrong?”

“Sorry, sorry,” Magnus manages, freeing one hand to dab at his eyes. “You’re beautiful. And real. God, Alexander, I thought I’d dreamt you up. I spent the whole flight over here telling myself I might not find you on the other end.”

Alec laughs wetly, pressing his forehead against Magnus’s.

“Me? You’re so—you, Magnus. I can’t believe this is happening right now. How is this happening? What are you doing here?”

The second part of Magnus’s sentence settles over Alec, comprehension dawning.

“Flight? You were—oh, the whole time, that’s why you couldn’t text me back.”

Magnus nods, chuckling. “That’s right, I was. I left late last night. Around 9pm my time.”

Alec’s eyes widen. He does a few quick calculations in his head. Things aren't adding up.

“We were talking at 9pm, though. On Messenger. You couldn’t Skype because of Ragnor and his band practi—there was no band practice, was there? Because you were on the plane by then. To come here.” A beat, and then, “How did you message me midflight, Magnus? Did you pay for inflight wifi or something?”

“I didn’t,” Magnus says, grin widening. “I called upon a dear friend instead. By the way, how moved were you by Ragnor’s performance? Answer honestly, Alexander—if he managed to play me convincingly, I owe him a considerable sum of money.”

“I—that was Ragnor? Last night?” Alec squeaks, heat rushing to his cheeks.

“It’s okay, darling. Ragnor was under strict instruction to not delve into any difficult topics of conversation. And if you were to accidentally divulge anything he wasn’t meant to know, he would’ve closed the window immediately and blamed his abrupt departure on a poor internet connection, just as he and I discussed. I’m sure you had an odd but light-hearted conversation with him.”

Alec blinks, processing the information slowly as Magnus’s master plan begins to come together in his mind. The sheer amount of thought that went into this has Alec’s head spinning, the city streets blurring together until all he can see are the flecks of liquid gold in Magnus’s eyes, or the way Magnus’s tongue drags across the flesh of his bottom lip, a mere breath away from Alec’s own.

Magnus’s lips. Magnus’s tongue…he’s so close, closer than he’s ever been before. Alec is reminded of his earlier promise. _I’d kiss you and I’d probably never stop._ Suddenly, it’s all he can think about. Alec wants to make good on his word more than he’s even wanted anything.

Alec is blurting out a rushed, “Can I kiss you?” before he even realizes the words have left his mouth. Their chests are still pressed together, arms wrapped tightly around each other’s bodies, so Alec feels the way Magnus’s heart quickens in response to the request.

As terrified as he is for this—his first kiss, it’s easy for Alec to close the distance between them after that.

And it’s not perfect. Alec nearly misses at first, mouth sliding hotly against Magnus’s for a brief second before they get the angle just right. But then, _oh,_ Magnus’s tongue is dragging across Alec’s bottom lip, drawing a moan out of Alec as he gives himself up to the sensation entirely, knees quaking as he clings to Magnus and kisses him with all the sentiment he couldn’t capture with words earlier.

_You’re a thousand times more beautiful in person._

_I cannot believe you’re here. I cannot believe you’re real._

_Magnus, Magnus, Magnus._

Isabelle whistles loudly in the background. She’s probably still filming them. Alec pulls Magnus tighter against his body and ignores her. The world could stop spinning right now, and he wouldn’t give a single fuck.

It could’ve been minutes—or hours—later when Magnus finally leans back, putting just enough space between them to catch his breath. His forehead is leaning against Alec’s and he’s smiling with swollen, kiss-bruised lips, hands dragging up and down Alec’s arms absentmindedly.

Like he can’t stop touching him, even for a second. Alec can relate to that feeling.

“Um, okay. Wow. And I’m back…how are you even real, Alexander? Was that seriously your first kiss?”

Alec flushes, head ducking shyly. “Well, yeah. Is it always like that? That...intense?”

“That depends,” Magnus says, “but in my experience, no, first kisses are usually a lot more stilted than that. You're something else, aren't you? Are you ever going to stop surprising me?”

"Me? Surprising you? That's—no, that's—god, Magnus." There's nothing for Alec to do but laugh, Magnus's innocent shrug betrayed by the sharp grin he's not bothering to hide. "I don't think that word applies to me given that you're standing here in Brooklyn."

“Wait, hang on a second,” Isabelle says, her phone camera long forgotten as she gestures between Alec and Magnus. “First kiss? That wasn’t Alec’s first kiss. There was Jessica Hawkblue, in 9th grade.”

Alec looks at her with a carefully schooled expression, barely remembering to bite back a groan. Magnus smirks, looking down at the ground to avoid catching Isabelle's eyes. He'd almost forgotten about Jessica Hawkblue...unfortunately for Alec, though, his sister rarely forgot a thing he'd otherwise want her to. Especially not the supposed story of Alec's first kiss.

Alec never meant to lie to Izzy in the first place, but she’d been so insistent back in high school, and Jessica Hawkblue was the quickest out he could find for himself without...well, without outing himself prematurely. He was 16 and just becoming comfortable in his own skin when Izzy started setting up blind dates in earnest, determined to get Alec the 'first kiss of his dreams.' For some reason, he hadn't come up with the words to tell her to back off, for if he had, Alec is sure she would've listened. But no, that would've been the reasonable thing to do.

So instead, Alec came up with Jessica Hawkblue. The lie had done its' job at the time, and Izzy stopped setting up the blind dates. He'd come out to his siblings less than a year later.

Isabelle pauses, comprehension dawning.

“Alec. There was no Jessica Hawkblue, was there?”

Alec shakes his head, because no, there was not. Meanwhile, Magnus is attempting to disguise his laughter as a coughing fit. It's not a convincing effort, but Magnus is  _here,_ so Alec can't find it in himself to be angry. 

Isabelle sighs. However, the forlorn look is quickly replaced by a smirk.

“So that  _was_ your first kiss, then? Congratulations!” She beams at Magnus, waving her iPhone at him. “And I got it all on camera. Guess that means you can relive it over and over, huh?”

“As lovely as that sounds, my dear Isabelle, Alexander and I have plenty of other firsts to cross off the list.”

Blood rushes to Alec's cheeks, hot and sudden as his mind plummets straight to the gutter.  _Other firsts?_ Sure, he's been on the receiving end of Magnus's innuendo many times, but never in person, never when he's got an apartment three floors up and a very real chance to do something about it. Alec mouth drops open as his brain scrambles for any acceptable response for that. Hell, Alec will settle for anything semi-acceptable at this point. He doesn't give a damn that Isabelle will tease him about this for years. 

When Magnus sees Alec's expression, his eyes widen, a smile stretching from ear to ear. He shakes his head quickly, squeezing Alec's hand where their fingers are still tangled together.

"Oh, darling, look at you. I was talking about our first date." He angles his entire body towards Alec, blocking Isabelle from his view. It's intentional, meant to give Alec a moment to compose himself...of course Magnus would know exactly what Alec needs in that moment. God, Alec is so gone for him. “I was thinking of a nice dinner tonight. We could walk home afterwards, maybe swing by Dumbo if there's time? There's an art festival happening this weekend.”

“Yeah—yes, I’d. I’d love that.” Alec replies. He leans forward, pressing a quick peck to Magnus’s cheek, just because he can. Magnus giggles in response. Alec’s chest tightens and he’s helpless to it, unable to stop himself from kissing the other cheek. He would do anything if it meant making Magnus laugh like that again, on repeat. Forever.

“Well, as sickeningly adorable as all of this is, I better get going.” Isabelle waves at them, sporting a knowing smile. “I have a thing I need to do today with Jace, that will occupy me for the rest of the evening. Right now, in fact. You two lovebirds have fun.”

“Okay, bye Iz!” Alec says, not even looking at her. Magnus calls out his own goodbyes before leaning in for another kiss, arms twining around Alec’s neck.

“Mm,” Alec moans, any attempt at coherency dashed by the lightning-quick kisses Magnus keeps giving him. “We should—upstairs, my apartment.”

Magnus nods, smile wide. He leans down to grab the handle of his luggage but Alec shoos him away, ignoring any of his protests that he ‘ _can definitely carry his own suitcase, Alexander.’_

“I know,” Alec says, eyes rolling, “I know, but I want to. You’re here, and you’re probably exhausted, and I just—let me take care of you, Magnus. I really, really want to.” The  _'now that I can'_ goes unsaid, but it's okay, because Magnus is nodding like he understands, his free arm looping around Alec's as their hands clasp together.

They cross the street to Alec's building, and Magnus opens the door for them, twisting Alec's key in the lock. The door hits Alec's shoulder as they stumble to move through it in unison, unwilling to let go of each other for even a moment, but Alec doesn't care, laughing at something Magnus says as they make their way up to the third floor.

Just like earlier, the door is featherlight. Alec wouldn't give a damn if it weighed a thousand pounds. He's home, Magnus is here, and there are pieces of Alec he hadn't even realized he was missing slotting in the spaces between their joined fingers.

"Home sweet home," Magnus beams, twisting the key in the lock once they reach Alec's apartment. Alec has never agreed with that sentiment more.  
  
//

“Alexander.”

Magnus is frozen in the doorway. Alec frowns, scanning his apartment with a critical eye, but he doesn’t see anything that would warrant this sort of pause, nor the shocked pitch of Magnus’s voice. He’d cleaned up earlier to distract himself, so even though Magnus’s visit was unannounced, Alec’s apartment is thankfully spotless. No dirty underwear lying around, no mugs on the coffee table…he’d even dusted, for god’s sake. It looks more like Jace's apartment than his own.

The smile spreads on Magnus’s lips, amused and distinctly fond. Alec’s worry fades away.

“Is that a twin bed? That is the most ‘you’ thing I think you could’ve—how do you even fit on that? As tall as you are. Secondly, how are _we_ going to fit on that? I suppose I could go get a hotel room…”

 _Oh._ Alec smiles, putting down Magnus’s luggage and wrapping an arm around his waist instead.

“I’ll buy a new one, I don’t care,” Alec says, shaking his head. “You can even pick out the sheets.”

Magnus snorts, stepping inside and pressing a kiss to the side of Alec’s head.

“No need to be dramatic, darling.” Now it’s Alec’s turn to laugh, brows raising at Magnus, who continues unperturbed. “In fact, I’m starting to see the appeal of this one. Picture this with me. You and I, all cuddled up to keep from tumbling to the floor in the middle of the night.”

“No,” Alec says, “no, Magnus, I don’t need to picture it. Also, I’m buying a bigger bed. Like, right now.”

Magnus tilts his head, considering Alec for a moment.

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Because I’ve spent the past eight months doing nothing but picturing things. Now that you’re here, I don’t want to waste another second. Why picture things when we can have them for real?”

The arm around Alec's shoulders pulls him in, until he's pressed against Magnus's side from hip to shoulder. Alec shivers at the gentle contact, leaning into it.

“Everything we had was real. It was really frustrating at times, sure, but real nonetheless. You never left my thoughts, Alec. Even when I couldn't hold you close. I do get what you were trying to say, though, and I could not agree more. I still can't believe we actually get to have this."

Magnus is looking at Alec with such warmth, it almost makes Alec want to cry. He could spend an eternity just watching Magnus look at him like this; fold himself inside this feeling and stay there for the rest of his life. Things like 'eternity' and 'the rest of his life' were never part of Alec's plan; his own future too tumultuous to support the weight of such heavy promises. They weren't his to have, and for the majority of Alec's life, he was okay with the thought of loneliness. It's just something he'd come to make peace with. 

Then Izzy liked that photo of Magnus at the gym on Instagram. There was no turning back after that. With Magnus in his life, words like 'forever' and 'soulmates'...they have more meaning than Alec could've dared to imagine. Eight months. It only took eight months for Alec to fall in love.

He doesn’t know how to voice this sentiment to Magnus without sounding stupid, so Alec chooses not to. What he does do, though, is lean forward into the kiss Magnus is offering, one hand slipping up to cup his boyfriend’s cheek. It’s caramel-sweet on Alec’s lips, and they part after a few moments, matching dazed smiles left in the wake of their kiss.

Magnus is the one to speak first, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Do you still want to buy a new bed?”

Alec nods, humming quietly.

“May I ask why?” Magnus asks, reaching out to smooth a lock of Alec’s hair back into place. “The one you have is just fine. No need to go through the trouble on my behalf. You know I was only joking about the hotel.”

“I know,” Alec says, heat rushing to his cheeks. _Innuendo might be Magnus’s first language, but damn it, Alec is going to try._  “Even if we do manage to sleep there, though, it’s a bit small for other purposes. Right? Um. I distinctly remember you talking about firsts?”

Magnus grins wolfishly, eyes shining. Heat sparks up the length of Alec’s spine.

“Darling, now that you mention it, we could do with a bit more room. I suppose a shopping trip is first on the agenda then.”

He looks around Alec’s apartment, taking in the simple furniture and the lack of personalization. When Magnus’s eyes meet Alec’s again, they’re aglow with excitement, plan already well underway. His happiness is almost ethereal, electric and bright in a way that has Alec falling a little bit harder, heart pounding steadily as he loses himself in the edges of Magnus’s smile and the glint of the afternoon sunlight casting him in the softest of glows…

“Tell me, Alec. Are you open to the idea of bringing in a bit of color? I was thinking we could go with gold. You have that lovely east-facing window that would look wonderful with a nice sheer curtain.”

 _Lovely window, indeed._ Alec smiles, closing his eyes as emotion swells in his chest.

It's all he can do to nod as he leads them back out the door, heading to the nearest subway station. Ordinarily, he dreads shopping trips, but Alec has a feeling he’d do anything Magnus asked if it meant being by his side like this.

//

They're standing in the textiles aisle of Bed Bath and Beyond when it occurs to Alec that he's missing a key piece of information regarding Magnus's visit. The implications of the question have Alec's stomach pitching, but he needs to know, so he can make the most of every second.

"Magnus," Alec starts, accidentally cutting him off mid-sentence, "how long are you here for?"

The towel in Magnus's hand slides to the floor by his shoes. His lips turn downwards. Apparently, Magnus doesn't like to think about this part either.

"Three weeks," he says eventually. "It's the best I could do, my darling. We all know Catarina is lost without me there."

"Three weeks? That's...wow, Magnus, that's great. I can't believe I get to see you every day for three weeks." Magnus is still frowning, though, and Alec is worried about it. He makes a mental note to ask about it once they're back home. "I um, I actually have the next three weeks off of work, too. That's a nice coincidence."

At that, Magnus perks up. He grins at Alec and leans down to pick up the towel, waving it around like a pom-pom. 

"What would you say if I told you that wasn't a coincidence?" 

"Wait. Did you—did you call my boss?" Alec squeaks, suddenly embarrassed. "Did  _everyone_ know about this except for me?"

"I didn't, no. Isabelle took care of that part. But yes, Alexander, Jocelyn was aware of my visit. And she was more than happy to oblige, by the way. She told us to have a wonderful time."

With every revelation, a new layer of Magnus's plan is exposed. And to think, so much went into this, all for Alec...the effort has something sparking lightning-hot in his ribcage, a dangerous sort of desire to drop to one knee right here, in the middle of Bed Bath and Beyond. Forget the fact that they're just now meeting in person for the first time. To hell with the irrationality of it all. Alec doesn't have a ring, doesn't have a grand plan—and if this visit has shown Alec anything, it's that Magnus Bane is beyond deserving of 'grand'. Forget the fact that they've barely been dating for a year; that Alec still hasn't told Magnus he loves him because he's—what, scared it's too soon? That Magnus might not feel the same way?

Alec loves him. He loves Magnus, more than he ever thought possible, and tonight, he's going to tell him. Ridiculous thoughts of a premature proposal aside, Magnus deserves to know how Alec truly feels. If he's willing to travel halfway across the world just to meet Alec, well—Alec supposes he owes him a bit of bravery in return.

//

**| m.b |**

Magnus's master-plan to surprise Alec goes off without a hitch. Two months of planning; of constant texts with Alec's siblings, and plane tickets, and begging Catarina to let him use all his vacation hours at once. It's incredible to think that it actually worked, that it culminated in him being here, in Brooklyn.

He thinks back to that afternoon, to Alec running into his arms and the overwhelming  _relief_ Magnus had felt the second he had Alec there with him, touching from shoulder to toe as they kissed on the busy sidewalk. After planning this for two months and mentally preparing himself just as long to meet Alec, finally _, finally—_ Magnus was certain he'd anticipated every possible outcome.

Elation was a given. He'd planned for the timber of his heart in his chest; for the way the air left him as the ground seemed to quake and crack beneath the soles of his shoes as the distance shattered all around them. The nerves were something he'd been expecting, too. Alexander is even more beautiful in person. 

What Magnus hadn't planned on, however, was the way falling into Alec's arms felt like coming home after an eternity spent searching for a place he could call his own. It's an elusive sort of calm Magnus has been chasing for several years now—Brooklyn, Chicago, London, Frankfurt—in each city, he's found nothing but longing and with it, a type of emotional jetlag that never really goes away. With Camille, he'd thought for a second, maybe—but no. That had ended, too. He'd left Brooklyn shortly after their breakup and moved in with Ragnor without looking back.

Meanwhile, Alexander had been here. In the very first place Magnus ever said goodbye to. The irony is not wasted on Magnus.

While it's true that Magnus hadn't planned on falling to pieces as brave, beautiful Alexander held him together like he was born to do just that, he can't say he's sorry it happened. Just as he can't say he's sorry for falling so completely in love with Alec in the span of about eight months.

Two months of friendship with six of a tentative _'more.'_  It all started with an Instagram post...and now Magnus is finally home, with Alexander by his side as they ride the D-train back to his apartment.

There's just one little problem. Magnus's physical home is in London. 3,450 miles away from the dream he's been living in since he stepped off the plane at JFK. And no matter how hard he tries to lose himself in their shopping, in their dinner date and Alec's cute little giggle at a particularly well-outfitted Great Dane...he  _can't. stop. thinking about it._

Basically, Magnus is an anxious mess. He's doing his best not to let it show, but god, he's so tired. It's been a long and emotionally taxing day. All he wants to do at the moment is curl up with Alec in his bed and never even think about leaving.

Alec, who is more perceptive than he gives himself credit for, notices almost immediately.

"This is our stop," he says, guiding Magnus off the train with a hand hovering just over the small of Magnus's back. They're not actually touching, but Magnus feels the heat of Alec's body all the same, bleeding through the silk of his shirt like flames from Alec's fingers. "You've been quiet for a while. Did I do something wrong?"

"No such thing," Magnus replies, smiling softly as he falls into step next to Alec on the sidewalk. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all. We've had a very exciting day." Alec nods, but his teeth are still worrying the skin of his lip. Magnus decides to borrow some of Ragnor's worst material. "You know, my love, sometimes I think you forget that you're dating an old man."

Alec rolls his eyes, playing right into the attempt at deflection. Magnus sends a silent thank you across the Atlantic Ocean.  

"You're twenty-three, Magnus. I'm twenty. There's hardly a difference at all."

"I suppose not. Does this mean I'll have to mail back my AARP card?" Magnus pouts, batting his lashes. "Think of all the discounts, Alexander. Free drinks at restaurants, cheaper movie tickets...I can take you on a million dates, and still have money to buy you flowers on the way home."

Under the dim glow of a streetlamp, Magnus sees a smile spread across Alec's face, slow and easy. His heart goes into overtime at the sight, throbbing dully against the confines of his ribcage.  _He's beautiful._ Magnus is seconds away from telling him as much, a thousand times in a row.

"Well," Alec says, "you won't have to worry about that. I already told you, Magnus, I'm paying for you from here on out." Magnus is armed with a series of appropriate protests, but Alec is ready for that too, silencing him with a finger pressed gently against Magnus's lips. "Ah, ah, none of that. We talked about this. You paid for a plane ticket and spent  _months_ planning an incredible surprise for me—let me buy you dinner, Magnus. And lunch. And flowers. Anything you want, okay? I just. I want to make you as happy as you've made me. Please, just me do this."

The words on their own don't do much for Magnus, but coupled with the pleading look in Alec's eyes? The puppy-dog pout on full lips that has Magnus cursing Isabelle, Jace, AND little Max for potentially teaching his Alexander such a tactic?

Magnus is hopeless. It's a losing fight, so he folds, sighing softly into the night air as he nods over at Alec. Alec grins, triumphant.

"On ONE condition," Magnus is quick to add, "and it's a serious one." Alec turns to face him, watching through half-lidded eyes. 

"Which is..."

They're almost back to Alec's apartment by now. Even though it's only been a day, Magnus recognizes the brown-bricked building from the end of the street. Granted, the furniture delivery truck pulling away from Alec's curb is also a dead-giveaway.

He whirls around suddenly, so that he and Alec are no longer moving, standing toe-to-toe on the sidewalk.  

"Kiss me," Magnus responds. "Kiss me, right here, and I'll let you buy me things without so much as a—mmpf!"

Alec wastes no time in granting Magnus's request, pushing him against the side of a neighboring building. Like their first kiss, it's messy: their teeth click together on impact, and their position isn't the most comfortable, exposed brick digging into Magnus's shoulderblades in a way that spells trouble for the silk blouse he's wearing, but it's everything he's needed for the past eight months, so none of that matters. Pressed against Alec's body, it's easy for Magnus to lose track of time, so he does just that, giving himself fully to the kiss as his arms twine loosely around Alec's neck.

Seconds give way to minutes; minutes to the whir of a siren in the distance. Around them, the night rushes on.  

// 

They do make it inside eventually, Alec insisting on carrying all their shopping bags despite it being easier to simply split them up. Alec wants to take a shower, so Magnus waves him off with a lazy hand, lounging on Alec's bed and fishing his phone out of his pocket. 

The second the bathroom door closes, though, Magnus's earlier anxiety slams into him with all the gentleness of a speeding truck. It's all he can do to dial the familiar number.

“I have a problem,” Magnus starts, not even waiting for Ragnor to say hello on the other line of the phone. “I have a problem, and it’s—oh, that’s wonderful. You’re laughing at me. I’m being serious, Ragnor!”

“If you’re calling to tell me you’ve been catfished, Magnus, just know that I won’t be flying out to collect you. Raphael, on the other hand, is waiting at Heathrow…you know how he loves to be right.”

Magnus laughs, his heart aching dully at the sound of his best friend’s voice. 

“I’m not being catfished. Alec is a gorgeous, baby-faced 20-year old.”

“Ah, it all makes sense now,” Ragnor says, voice cheery even over the phone. “Let me guess- when you’re out and about with him, people assume you’re his father? Pity that, Magnus. Should’ve bought the anti-aging cream from that advert.”

“I would have, but I wanted to make sure there was plenty left for you.” Magnus replies without skipping a beat, eyes rolling. Still, though, Ragnor’s teasing loosens a few knots in his stomach. Magnus swallows, pleased to find the motion a bit easier than before.

“You sound well, my friend, mysterious problems aside. Happy, even. Your Alexander…was he surprised to find you standing on his doorstep?”

Magnus props the phone against his shoulder, elbows folded over the edge of Alec’s windowsill. In the background, he can hear the shower running. He tries not to think too hard about what that means. _Alec, naked, in the shower_ , _clothes piled haphazardly on the bathroom floor..._

Nope. Nope. Not going there. Magnus focuses on the cool night air, which smells vaguely of sewage in a way that’s nostalgic beyond belief. God he’s missed New York.

“He was,” Magnus agrees, humming thoughtfully. “It was better than I could’ve imagined.”

“And he treats you well?”

There it is. Magnus’s heart drops to his feet. Three weeks left. If he's not mindful, that's little more than the blink of an eye.

And then he’s alone again, with nothing but a broken heart and a phone full of pictures to prove he was ever here at all.

“Better than I deserve, and that’s the problem.” Magnus drags a hand through his hair, sighing sadly. “Being here is surreal in ways I hadn’t predicted. Alexander is wonderful. Ragnor, if you could see the way he looks at me. He’s too kind. And gentle. And understanding. I wish...I...”

Ragnor clicks his tongue. If he closes his eyes, Magnus can picture him pacing around their living room, dodging socks and empty mugs as he goes. The image soothes his throbbing temples, easing the thought of a racing calendar from Magnus’s mind.

“You’re scared of breaking your own heart. You’re scared because this feels real now that you’ve met in person.”

“Yes,” Magnus says, unable to keep the shame from his voice. “It's ridiculous. I know I just got here, and I have plenty of time left. But all I can think about is how badly it will hurt to leave this behind, now that I know what it's like to have this. And what if Alec decides he can’t handle the distance?”

“I’d ask if you’ve mentioned this to your Alec, but it’s clear from your current state that you haven’t. You know, someone very wise once told me, ‘Ragnor, the key to having a successful long-distance relationship is endless communication.’ Perhaps you should hang up and chat with that person instead.”

Magnus laughs, quiet and wet-sounding. He glances over at the bathroom door. It’s still locked, and the water is still running.

“Whoever said that must be very smart.”

“He likes to think so. Let's get to the heart of this, though. Your first problem has a simple solution, and I just told you what it was. Time to move on to the actual reason you're ringing me at half two in the morning."

 _Fuck._ Leave it to Ragnor to understand Magnus better than Magnus himself.

"I only called because I knew you'd be awake," he mumbles, twisting the sheets in his fingers. 

"Of course I am," Ragnor replies. "The night is young. But you, my friend, have an old soul, with old demons to keep you company." He pauses for a moment. Magnus can hear the whistle of their kettle in the background. "Magnus, you know this is different, right? Alexander is not Camille. He doesn't seem the type to up and flee at the first sign of poor weather. That won't change just because you've met in person." 

Distantly, he knows that Ragnor is right. Magnus knows that what he and Alec have is stronger than the miles between them, that they’ve done this before and can do it again. The problem is, he and Alec have gone shopping together now. He knows the pensive look Alec gets when he's choosing between two types of ice cream; seen how bright his smile is when Magnus leans in to kiss his cheek. 

Magnus has taken Alec out on a proper date. He's watched him twirl pasta around a fork, and listened while Alec went on and on about the time he and Jace accidentally hitchhiked when they were in high school. He's seen Alec happy, and frustrated, and exhausted, and sarcastic...worst of all, he's seen it all in person. HD, 4K, the best money can buy—it's got nothing on the way Alec's breath hitches when their fingers brush together. The sweet sounds he makes when they kiss. His laugh echoing in the empty towel section at fucking Bed Bath and Beyond.

How will Magnus ever escape the thought of him once this is over? How will he shop? Cook? The thought of saying goodbye is ridiculous. Especially when it could mean the end of everything. 

“What if I can’t do it? What if I can’t leave?”

Ragnor sighs on the other line. Magnus can practically hear his eyes rolling.

“Don’t be daft. You’ll get on the plane, and you’ll be okay, because it’s what you have to do, my dear. It won't spell the end of days. Your relationship will not collapse.” Magnus groans in acknowledgment, because yes, Ragnor is right. He’s been right about everything so far.

“Now. Go talk to him, and don’t leave out a single thing, or I swear to you, I’ll put Raphael on a plane myself to sort you out.” Ragnor hums, voice full of false cheer. “And you know how he gets after those long-haul flights.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll talk to him,” Magnus says, picturing Raphael’s murderous glare as clearly as if he were standing right there in Alec’s tiny apartment. “And tell Raphael if he’s that eager to purchase a plane ticket, he can buy one in Alec’s name. It’s a much better use of his money than flying out here himself.”

“I’ll be sure to pass the idea along. Before you run off, though, there’s one more thing I’d like to say, and I’ll need you to listen closely."

Magnus settles into the mattress and readies himself for a lecture. He'd recognize that tone in his best friend's voice from a million miles away.

"Magnus, my dearest, oldest friend. For five years, I’ve been by your side. And in that time, you’ve had your heart broken again and again. No matter what you may think…you didn’t deserve any of that pain. Having survived it doesn’t make you any less deserving now. I wish you all the happiness in the world, and from the way you describe him, it sounds like your Alec is ready to offer that. Take it, alright? Let him in. Let him show you what it means to be loved and to love in return.”

The shower water cuts off, and Magnus can hear the echoes of his own shallow breathing in the newly minted quiet. Ragnor’s words settle over him like a warm blanket, honey dripping molten down the length of his spine. He’s blinking back tears for a different reason now.

“I—yes. Thank you Ragnor, truly. We’ll talk tomorrow, alright?”

“Of course. Send Alec my best wishes,” Ragnor says, “I hope your talk goes well.”

The line goes dead. Magnus uses the few seconds he has to compose himself, dabbing at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

Alec appears a few minutes later, towel draped across his shoulders. He’s fully dressed, a blessing for Magnus’s dwindling sanity, hair still wet and dripping onto the collar of his shirt. Magnus smiles at him and crosses the room until they’re just a few paces apart.

“Was that Ragnor?” Alec asks, toying with the edge of the towel. Magnus makes grabby hands at it, gesturing for Alec to tilt his head down.

“It was,” Magnus responds, gently drying Alec’s hair. “He misses me. Apparently, my friend Raphael is camped out at the airport, ready to swoop in and embarrass me at a moment’s notice.”

Alec peeks up from beneath damp lashes and scrunches his nose. Magnus has to bite his tongue to keep from cooing at the sight.

“Embarrass you? Like ‘hurt my best friend and die’ type stuff? Or is it more along the lines of proof that you once wore clothes that didn’t match?”

Magnus scoffs, tugging the ends of Alec’s hair for good measure.

“Alexander, I am shocked and offended. You honestly think I would wear something that doesn’t match?” At Alec’s playful grin, Magnus smiles, unable to hold it back. “No to the first as well but you’re getting warmer. It’s the opposite—he’s convinced I’ll do something stupid that’ll end up hurting you.”

“Me?” Alec asks, brows raised. “Why would he worry about me? He doesn’t even know me.”

 _And there it is,_ the moment he’s been dreading. “ _Talk to him,”_ Ragnor had said. Leave it to Alexander to offer Magnus the perfect introduction.

“He knows you make me happy,” Magnus replies, voice soft, “and he knows me. Raphael knows how scared I get in the face of happiness like that.”

Alec pauses, face hidden under the towel. For a few heart-pounding seconds, Magnus can’t see his face; can’t read his expression or guess what thoughts are running through that beautiful head of his. Alec doesn’t offer any sort of verbal insight, and in the space of so much quiet, it would be easy for Magnus to assume the worst. This is Alec, though, and Magnus has never known him to be anything but understanding. Magnus bites his lip, forcing himself to keep calm.

The towel falls to the bed behind them as Alec sits up. His eyes are sad, but there’s no anger—or worse, pity—in his expression. He reaches out and takes one of Magnus’s hands in both of his own, thumbs soothing over the thin skin.

“You’re scared of me? Of…this?” A beat, and then, “Help me understand, Magnus.”

As hard as it is to drag up old memories, Alec deserves to know the truth. _Talk to him._ Magnus focuses on the warmth of Alec’s hands; the gentle glide of his rhythmic touch.

“My ex-girlfriend, Camille,” he manages, proud when his voice doesn’t crack, “was abusive, both emotionally and physically. We were together for over a year. She was a master manipulator, and the damage she did…it took months to move beyond that. The funny thing is, she lives here, in Brooklyn. I did too, for almost five years, but after...well. Our break-up left me in a very vulnerable state, and that resulted in a series of unhealthy coping mechanisms that were hard to let go of. Things had gotten so bad I decided it was best to give myself a fresh start. London just so happened to be both far from Camille and close to Ragnor. Raphael followed me a year later."

Magnus's eyes burn with unshed tears as an uncomfortable shiver draws goosebumps along his arms. It's been a while since he's told anyone about this.

"During my relationship with Camille, I became complacent. Before that, though, there was a time in my life where she made me happier than I’ve ever been. I was so blinded by our happiness that now it’s hard for me to trust the feeling. To open my heart, and let myself be vulnerable. I've developed a series of safeguards as a result, to keep anyone else from getting too close.”

Alec’s hands clutch at Magnus’s more tightly. Magnus is too scared to look up, to meet Alec’s gaze with his own. He’s scared of what he’ll find there.

“But you,” he continues, “you snuck up on me. It was so easy for me to talk to you, from the very beginning—and maybe it’s because of how we started, with so much distance between us, but I’ve always felt safe with you. It makes me want to tell you everything, Alexander. It’s been so long since I’ve felt like this, and I…”

“Magnus.”

Alec’s voice is close, much closer than Magnus is expecting it to be. He looks up, steeling his nerves for—fuck, Magnus doesn’t even know at this point. Rejection? Acceptance? Alec telling him this is all too much, too soon?

“I love you,” Alec blurts out, voice louder than necessary given how close they’re sitting. “God, I’m sorry, that’s probably not what you needed to hear. But I mean it, Magnus. I’m—I love you, and I’ll love all of you, no matter when you decide you’re ready to let me in. I can wait as long as you need me to.”

Magnus’s mouth drops open, heart pounding in time with the rush of blood in his ears. Out of all the things Alec could’ve possibly responded with, that wasn’t one Magnus had prepared himself for. At all.

 _Always surprising him, even now_.

“You’re sure?” Magnus asks, his whole body vibrating with the need to reach out and _touch,_ the barely-there slip of their hands no longer enough to keep him from floating away. “You’re—Alexander, you’re certain?”

“Yes. Yeah. I’m—I’ve never felt this way before, about anyone. I know it’s only been a few months, and we’re just now meeting face-to-face, but I’ve spent my entire life telling myself that this is something I’ll never have. When I saw you on the sidewalk, it’s like…everything got quiet, if that makes sense. All that mattered was you, there, real and right in front of me. I want to feel like that forever, and I might not know what I'm doing half the time, but I know you're the one I want to figure it out with, and I love you—hey.” Alec sounds hesitant, smile slipping from his face. “Shit, you’re shaking. Are you okay?”

“I’m fantastic,” Magnus says, mere seconds before surging forward and crashing against Alec’s mouth. They fall to the bed in a tangled mess of lips and limbs, Alec moaning into the kiss as Magnus loses himself to it; to the feeling of Alec underneath of him and all around him, loving him, _loving Magnus—_

Alec loves him, and Magnus loves Alec. It occurs to Magnus that he never said it back.

“I love you too,” he manages, grabbing at any part of Alec he can reach. Alec’s hands are moving underneath Magnus’s shirt, nails tracing tendrils of heat up the curve of his spine. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Alec is saying something, babbling almost desperately in-between their frenzied kisses. He’s arching up against him, bodies sliding against each other in a way that has Magnus struggling to remember his own name, let alone make out whatever it is he’s trying to say.

Magnus forces himself to focus, though, because it’s Alec. He loves Alec, and he doesn’t want to miss anything important.

“Again, again, please, Magnus, I just—”

“Alexander.” Magnus pulls back, gripping both of Alec’s wrists to keep his hands from wandering. Alec gets even more flustered by this, moaning loudly as he tugs against the bond, and _that_ little discovery is absolutely not helping with Magnus's inability to redirect his attention. He ignores the heat scorching through his veins in favor of pressing the words like kisses into Alec's forehead. “Hey, shh, it’s okay. Tell me what you need.”

“Say it again?” Alec pleads, chest heaving. “What you said before, please, I need to hear you say it.”

“I love you, Alexander. I do.” The last words have Magnus shivering for an entirely different reason—a reason he promptly ignores, focusing instead on the barely-there flecks of hazel in Alec’s heated gaze. “I love you. I’ll say it as often as you like.”

“God,” Alec replies, eyes sliding closed. Magnus leans down and kisses him, helpless to the sensation. Then, because apparently, Alec is never going to stop surprising Magnus, he says, “I want you so bad right now.”

It’s honest, and raw, and Magnus has never been more turned on in his life. All he can do in response is moan, dropping his weight down to settle more fully against Alec’s body as their mouths come together in another searing kiss. They’re pressed together again, hot and hard and it’s nearly perfect—but they’re both still fully clothed, too many layers in the way of what Magnus wants, what Alec clearly wants as well.

Alec's hands are shaking as they undo the buttons of Magnus's shirt, which is interesting, given that Magnus can't remember having let go of Alec's wrists. He must have, though, because now his shirt is open, Alec's hands still trembling as they map a path down his sternum...

Fuck.They need to talk. They need to stop, Magnus needs to make them stop, and then they need to discuss this. Alec’s never done this before, and Magnus is more vulnerable with Alec than he’s ever been with anyone else. It takes a herculean effort, but Magnus manages to fight the sweep of Alec’s tongue against his lower lip, pulling back to press their foreheads together when he can’t bear the thought of actual distance.

“Wait, wait, Alec." Alec freezes, fingers curling against Magnus's abs. "We need to—talk about this. We should talk."

"About what?" Alec says, sounding wrecked already and  _fuck,_ why did Magnus tell him to stop again? "Magnus, I want this. I'm nervous but I'm not—it doesn't mean I'm not ready, okay? I want you, I want—"

Magnus leans down, pressing a soothing kiss to Alec's clothed shoulder. "I know, darling. I know. And I do too, more than you can imagine." At Alec's dubious look, he presses his weight more fully against Alec in demonstration. Alec gasps when he feels it, a soft, broken sound that Magnus can't help but echo. "But we don't need to rush. We've got—oh, fuck, Alec, stay still—three whole weeks, and—"

"Are _you_ not ready?"

It's a valid question. There's no judgment in Alec's voice when he asks. Magnus knows that no matter what he answers with, Alec will be unbearably patient with him. Loving, kind, and understanding...Alexander Lightwood has thrown him so far off course, Magnus isn't even sure why he'd want to pursue one in the first place. 

"Alexander," Magnus starts, sitting up a bit more as he straddles Alec's hips, "I'm...look, it's not that I'm not ready. I might be more—experienced, when it comes to the physical act, but in many ways, you're new for me too. I don't want to rush things with you because I cannot bear the thought of losing you. Of doing something wrong, and being unable to take it back, especially when I'm not always there to support you in person. I don't want to be a choice you'll come to regret in time."

Alec sits up, his hand flying up to Magnus's side to stabilize him. 

"Lose me? Magnus, what? I love you. I won't—you're not going to lose me. We'll figure out the distance thing. We'll make it work. I'll come see you in London, I can get a passport, I can start saving right now for the plane ticket." Alec kisses him, open-mouthed and passionate. It's all Magnus can do to hold onto him, giving everything he has in return until they break apart, trading harsh breaths in the minute space between them. "I love you. From here to London, I love you. I won't regret anything we decide to do. And right now, I want you, in whatever way you'll have me. As much or as little as you need."

Alec's words break something in him he hadn't realized he was holding onto; worries slipping down his skin like water as Ragnor's voice echoes in his mind. 

" _Talk to him, and don't leave out a single thing. Let him show you what it is to love and be loved in return."_

Magnus nods, smile blooming as his eyelashes brush against Alec's. "Yeah," he manages, "yes, okay, Alec, I—"

In the end, Magnus isn't sure which one of them leans in first. But they're kissing again, moving against each other in a delicious tangle of arms and legs and skin, and for the first time since landing at JFK this morning, the worries in him fall silent. 

//

**| a.l |**

Alec wakes up the next morning to the buzz of his alarm on the nightstand, sun peeking through the gauzy curtains in a way that makes him wonder if he's actually awake at all. He moves to sit up, reaching for his phone, but the warm, solid weight of something to his left pins him in place.

Something.  _Someone._ Alec blinks, looking down at the sight of Magnus's hair, inky against the skin of his own bare chest.

Happiness vibrates through Alec's bones, leaving him with a joy he doesn't have words for. Magnus is sleeping soundly in spite of the alarm, his hand curled loosely around Alec's bicep as his breaths come out in steady little huffs. He's bathed in early morning sunlight, reds and oranges painting his skin a shade of gold men would wage thousand year wars for; the kind of easy, breathtaking stillness only afforded to the early morning hours.

 _He's stunning._ Honestly, Alec wants to laugh out loud, delirious with the feeling. At the moment, though, he's incapable of anything other than quiet delight.

His phone buzzes noisily on the nightstand. Alec manages to grasp his phone with the tips of his fingers and silence the stupid alarm.

 _Magnus is here._ He's real and solid and last night, they'd—oh, the thought sends a rush of heat straight down to his toes. They hadn't gone all the way, but what they _did_ do was enough to make Alec wonder why the hell he hadn't bought a million plane tickets prior to Magnus surprising him. Alec shivers, praying that Magnus doesn't notice the way his hips rock imperceptibly upwards against the weight of Magnus's thigh before he can manage to stop himself.  Thankfully they'd had enough thought to put on clean boxers afterwards, but the thin cotton leaves nothing to the imagination; does little to prevent Magnus's body heat from bleeding straight through to Alec's skin, his thigh pressed solidly against Alec's dick in a way that has him biting back a moan. He switches gears quickly, going over his closing duties at work in his mind to distract himself from his current predicament. 

_Wipe down the desk, make sure all the forms are filed alphabetically for Jocelyn to sign off on in the morning. Put paper in the printer tray, restock the fridge, turn off the lights._

It works after a few minutes. Alec sighs, focusing again on the warmth of Magnus against his side. Maybe his worry is silly, given that they'd seen each other naked last night, had crossed many more 'firsts' off of Alec's little list besides harmless frotting. But Alec wants to do this right, too. He wants to make sure Magnus is comfortable, that he knows how permanent all of this is. That even when Magnus has to leave...this, them, it's not going away. 

Late last night, as he was trying to fall asleep, Alec Lightwood came up with a plan. It's not as extravagant as Magnus's surprise for him was, but he knows Magnus will appreciate it all the same. 

So, as carefully as he can, Alec extracts himself from the bed, pausing for a moment when Magnus snuffles loudly and stirs in Alec's arms. Thankfully, he settles back down without waking. Alec is certain he's never met someone who sleeps so soundly.

Once he's up Alec dresses quickly, sending a text to his brother. Jace has always been an early riser, earlier than Alec himself, so he knows he'll be awake. The string of lewd emojis has his ears burning with embarrassment, but there's no one awake to see it, so Alec sends back a middle finger in response, willing Jace to take him seriously. He does, of course. Before long the plan is well underway.

 _5:45am._ Now all there's left to do is wait.

// 

"Hey, Magnus," Alec murmurs, smoothing Magnus's hair back from his forehead as he sleeps, "can you hear me? Time to wake up."

Magnus snores on, oblivious to Alec's gentle attempts to rouse him. Alec decides to escalate a bit by giving Magnus's shoulder a little shake. 

"Come on, sleepyhead. You'll sleep the day away."

"m jetlagged," Magnus moans, voice muffled by the pillow covering half of his face.  It's progress, though, so Alec will take it. "Don't wanna wake up."

Alec smiles, hopelessly fond. He's never known Magnus to be anything but eloquent. Apparently that's not true in the mornings. Just another layer he's only now getting to discover. Regardless, Alec thinks, this version of Magnus might be one of his favorites. Sleepy and snuggly and stubborn—and above all, here, wrapped up in Alec's sheets.

"It's almost ten here, and you've been sleeping for eight hours. That's four pm London time."

Magnus's eyes open, squinting against the harsh sunlight almost immediately. Alec chuckles, scooting forward on the bed to comb fingers through Magnus's hair in what he hopes is a comforting gesture.

"It's five o'clock somewhere, though. Five am." He pauses, body a long, lean line as he stretches and yawns. "You know, I'm starting to regret our choice in window treatments. Let's return these and invest in blackout panels."

"Nah," Alec says, "they look nice. You were right about the gold. Besides, they're efficient. Nature is the best alarm clock."

"I didn't know I was dating a morning person," Magnus says, sheets pooling around his waist as he sits up in bed. "Well, it's nice to know you're human." At Alec's confused stare, he adds, "Before this, I thought you were perfect. But a morning person? It's alright, darling. We all have our flaws."

Alec has to bite down hard on his lip to keep from smiling at that. He settles for rolling his eyes, offering Magnus a hand as he climbs out of bed. 

"I guess that answers that question." 

"And what question is that?"

"Oh, nothing." Alec responds, passing over a steaming mug of coffee. Magnus makes a happy sound, bringing it to his lips without pause. "Careful, it's hot."

"Doesn't sound like nothing," Magnus mumbles against the rim of the mug. "What question, Alexander?"

"It sounds silly now that I know you, so don't laugh, but I always wondered if you liked sunrises. Back before we started talking there was this picture on your Instagram. A sunrise, with a mug. I, um. That's the first post of yours I actually 'liked' on my own? I saw it, and it made me want to message you. It's stupid, but I still think about that picture sometimes."

It's a beautiful thing, the way Magnus's entire expression shifts at that. Alec's never seen him look quite as soft as he does just then, the molten gold in his eyes melting Alec straight down to the soles of his shoes.

"That's so...Alexander. That's not stupid at all, far from it. I do like them. They're beautiful, although recently, I've found a view I admire much more."

Alec's cheeks tint a violent red. He's half expecting Magnus to follow his flirtation up with physical affirmation—a wink, maybe, or a blown kiss. Magnus doesn't do any of that. Instead, he just sits there, smiling at Alec with all the sincerity in the world. Like it's true; like Alec is more beautiful than all the sunrises there are to see.

It's just on the edge of too much, that feeling. Alec smiles in return, looking away when the warmth in Magnus's gaze starts to burn.

"Actually, you should probably go get dressed now. We have somewhere to be in 45 minutes."

Magnus's eyebrows disappear beneath the tangle of pink cascading down his forehead. "We do?" Alec nods, smirk growing. "Care to elaborate on that, Alexander?"

"Nope," he responds. Magnus pouts and bats his lashes, but Alec smiles, shaking his head.  _No,_ he won't be giving this one up. Magnus sighs when it's clear that Alec's in it for the long haul.

"You're being cryptic. How am I supposed to get dressed if I don't know what I'm dressing for?"

Alec shrugs. "Just wear something casual. Casual for you, anyway. I'm sure you'll look good no matter what, Magnus. You always do." 

Magnus is still giving him a dubious look, but at least he's moving now, wrestling open the stubborn accordion door on Alec's closet with a quiet huff. He'd basically taken it over the second he stepped foot in Alec's apartment, not that Alec minds—if he's being honest, he loves the way Magnus's clothes look hung up next to his; smooth silk and vibrant color paired with his work shirts and sweaters. Maybe it's an odd thing to appreciate. Alec doesn't think he'll ever stop finding things to appreciate about Magnus.

A hand falls on his shoulder, startling Alec back into reality. Magnus is smiling at him. And speaking of appreciation, woah, when did he have time to get dressed? Alec's eyes dance down the length of his body, eager for every detail.

Magnus is fully dressed in a royal blue button-up fastened all the way up to his Adam's apple, sleeves rolled and neatly cuffed across the smooth skin of his forearms. Instead of yesterday's gold necklaces, he's wearing silver, with matching eyeshadow and an ear cuff that looks like a flower (or is it a spiderweb? Alec isn't really sure.) But his  _pants..._ are going to be an issue. A big one, apparently. 

Like yesterday's, they're practically painted on, and every coherent thought Alec has goes out the damn window. He's suddenly struck with the urge to text Isabelle to tell her Magnus is jetlagged and he's terribly sorry, but they won't be going out to brunch this morning after all. Tomorrow's not looking good either. 

"Magnus," Alec murmurs, nearly choking on the words as his eyes flutter shut, "are those leather? Is that—is that casual?"

"They are," Magnus says. "Why do you ask?" He pauses for a moment, eyes narrowing in thought. When it clicks, Magnus's grin widens, wolfish and knowing. " _Oh._ I think I understand now. Well, darling, since I had _no idea_ what I was dressing for, I had to choose something...multipurpose." He shrugs, twirling a hand through the air in lazy, looping gestures. 

"Multipurpose," Alec says, tracking the movement of Magnus's hands with hungry eyes. Magnus winks at him, moving to tug on a pair of combat boots that make his legs look a mile long.

Alec curses under his breath. Magnus chuckles, standing up.

"You're so cute, Alexander. Yes, multipurpose. Formal enough for a museum, casual enough to be comfortable, even though summers in America are close to sweltering."

The sentence makes Alec pause, his previous words dying on the tip of his tongue. _Summers in America._ It reminds him of something Magnus said last night, after he mentioned Camille— _Magnus knows what summers in America feel like, because Magnus used to live here. In Brooklyn, even_. Last night, Alec was understandably distracted, and didn't get to dwell on that thought as much as it deserves. Now, though, he's got plenty of time, and curiosity is eating him alive.  _What if he and Magnus have met before, and just don't remember? What if they know the same people? What if their paths have crossed, and neither of them ever knew until this very moment—_ and what if it means they can have a future together? Here, in a place they both know?

There's a question weighing heavily on his mind. Alec wants to ask, but he's terrified to bring up what he knows is a sensitive subject.

"...and now you're not responding. Alec, my love. Come back to me. If the pants are that distracting, I can change. I promise I'm more flattered than offended."

Alec blinks. Magnus's brow is furrowed, and he has to fight the desire to reach out and smooth it with his fingers. "What? I'm listening, sorry."  

Magnus snorts. At least he's not upset with Alec for his momentary retreat.

"Right. And I'm the Queen of England." He pauses, reaching out to cup Alec's cheek. "I can tell there's something you want to say, Alec. No matter what it is, you can trust me. You know that, don't you?"

It's as good of an invitation as Alec is going to get. He takes a deep breath, steadying himself as he tries to come up with the right words. 

What he ends up saying, however, is, "Have you ever thought about moving back?"

It's a total foot-in-mouth moment, and Alec knows how spectacularly he's fucked things up when Magnus's eyes widen, staring at Alec like he's grown a second head. Alec, being himself, jumps straight into damage control.

"Shit—sorry, Magnus, that's not what I—I didn't mean that, like. At all. That was selfish and insensitive, and I just. Fuck, that came out so wrong, I didn't mean to upset you. Can I...can I try asking that again?"

Magnus, ever-understanding, gives him a slow nod. His expression is still a bit strangled, so Alec squares his shoulders, determined to get it right this time.

"Thank you," Alec breathes, dizzy with gratitude. He forces himself to pause, focusing on the sentiment he's trying to convey to Magnus. "Last night, you mentioned that you've lived here before, for five years. I had no idea—and I completely understand why you didn't tell me before, that's not what this is about. It means the world to me that you trusted me with that part of your past, Magnus, and I'll always be here to listen to you. I was caught off guard, though, by the Brooklyn bit. When you...um, when you found out where I was from. How did you feel about that?"

"Before or after we started dating?" Magnus asks, voice steady. 

"Both. Whichever."

"It's complicated. I wish I could say it didn't worry me at all, Alexander, but fears are often irrational in nature. Especially those that have been reinforced by past trauma." When Magnus makes eye contact with Alec again, some of that mirth is back in his eyes. Alec rejoices, vowing to keep it there the rest of the day. "And if there's anything living in so many cities has taught me, it's how annoyingly small the world can be at times. I won't lie and claim I was unaffected. The thought took a while to reconcile with, especially when I started making plans to come see you. It's another reason why Raphael was worried to see me go—he didn't want me falling into old habits—or, worse than that, running into someone from that circle. But I'm okay being back here. It's easier than I thought it would be."

Alec smiles, his fingers twining through Magnus's. "I'm glad you're okay. If it gets too much, and you need to go, just say the word. We'll go to Secaucus, or something."

Magnus's laugh echoes from every corner of Alec's apartment. It's a beautiful sound, one that chases the last dredges of worry from Alec's shoulders, leaving him feeling lighter than air.

"Secaucus?" Magnus dabs at his eyes, head shaking. "You are truly something else, Alexander." His smile gives way to a more careful, neutral expression. It's still soft, though, happiness curled in the lilt of Magnus's voice. "To answer your earlier inquiry. About moving back to the States. Yes, I've thought about it. How could I not, when a large part of my heart is here? I've even discussed the matter with Catarina. She offered to let me open my own branch of the travel agency here to accommodate."

 _That_ is more than Alec was expecting to get. Now it's his turn to gape, heartbeat kicking into third gear as he considers what this could mean.

"Wow. I mean, that's incredible, Magnus. You'd be your own boss, right?"

"I would. It's a wonderful opportunity. I just..."

"Hey," Alec says, "hey, it's okay. I get it. Your whole family is there. I wouldn't want you to leave that. I've been down that path, with London. Let's focus on being together for now. The rest can come later."

Magnus's smile is soft, almost disbelieving, and Alec's heart flutters at the sight.

"Alexander, you've never even been to London. You mean to tell me you've given thought to moving there?"

"Of course I have. Why wouldn't I at least consider it?"

Alec's mouth is set in a serious line. He's not breaking eye contact. Magnus swallows and drops his gaze down to his lap.

"Well, to start, it rains all the time. When it isn't raining, it's humid. No one knows how to drive. And Isabelle, Jace, and Max..."

"Are all here," Alec finishes, head shaking. "Yeah, I know. But you're not." Magnus sucks in a sharp breath, looking back up with a little jolt of surprise. "Look, Magnus. I know we're moving a little quickly. But I—I've never felt  _anything_ like this. Like you. It's terrifying. And I'm not packing my bags to move right now, or anything. I just—I have thought about it. Us. The longterm, and what that could look like." 

It's clear that Magnus needs a minute to think about this. They'd briefly discussed the matter last night, but not like this. Not in the context of moving in together. He lets Magnus have that time. Tells himself not to panic in the silence hanging between them. It mostly works.

"When I fall," Magnus starts, looking down at their joined hands, "I fall hard and fast. So I came up with rules for myself to try and slow things down. It usually works. And then I met you."

"Then I met you," Alec echoes, bringing their hands up to his lips and kissing the back of Magnus's. "We should probably..."

"Go? Of course. We have a mystery destination to get to." Magnus stands up, pulling Alec to his feet alongside him. They sway a bit, almost like a slow dance, before letting go of each other and moving to the door.

"And we're late," Alec says phone in hand as he sends an apology text to Isabelle. She responds with a series of eggplant emojis. If it's any indication of how their brunch conversations are going to trend...

Well, maybe Alec should just take Magnus out to a nice museum, instead.

//

They go to brunch, despite all of Alec's sibling-centered self-preservation instincts telling him this is a bad idea. When they walk up to the cafe, Magnus smiles, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Alec knows, deep down, he'd endure a lot worse than an hour or two of Jace's poorly veiled innuendos if it means Magnus will smile like that.

"You're taking me to brunch? Oh, darling. You sure do know the way to my heart."

Alec opens the door for him, leading Magnus in with a hand on the small of his back. His eyes scan the tables until he sees Isabelle's familiar dark curls, Jace's bomber jacket draped over the edge of a chair. Jace himself is absent, though.

"Don't praise me yet, Magnus. You haven't met Jace. There's a very real chance you'll dump me before they bring the food out, if he's in good form this morning."

Magnus's arm shoots out, stopping Alec in his tracks. He traces the line of him with his eyes, following the curve of his elbow up to bicep and across the slope of his shoulder. When their eyes meet, Alec is surprised to find Magnus looking even happier than before. 

"Your siblings are here? Both of them?" Alec nods. "Excellent! I've already met Isabelle. She's stunning, of course. I imagine your brother is much the same."

"I am," Jace grins, appearing just over Alec's shoulder. Alec startles, cursing loudly. "Alec, I like him already. You didn't tell me your boyfriend had such good taste."

It's Magnus who answers, smirking at Jace as he turns to face him fully. 

"I thought that was more implied," he says, voice low and smooth, "given that I'm with Alexander." Magnus offers his hand to Jace, who takes it, grip firm. "Magnus Bane. It's wonderful to finally meet you, Jace. I've heard a lot about you, and I'm not saying that for the purpose of pleasantries."

"Jace Herondale. Believe me, I've heard about you too. Lots, in fact—especially before you two started dating. Back then, it was all, ' _Look at his arms though, Jace! It's like he's made of marble or something, honestly, who even looks like that,'_ or—"

Alec's elbow connects cleanly with Jace's stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs in a steady woosh as whatever embarrassing comment he was about to make dies out in a series of splutters and coughs. Alec doesn't even have to look to aim anymore. Isabelle's laugh carries over the din of conversation.

"Yep, that's enough of that. I'm starved, who wants to eat?"

They make their way to the table where Isabelle is waiting, Jace glaring daggers at Alec's back, no doubt working on his next plan to embarrass Alec as thoroughly as possible. Magnus is still smirking, his hand soothing over Alec's shirt sleeve. 

Alec sighs, trying to prepare himself. This is going to be a long two hours.

//

"...and then she just dumps the spaghetti right on Alec's head. The whole plate, dude. You should've seen the look on Maryse's face."

Isabelle does a little curtsy, mischief shining in her eyes. Magnus is turning an alarming shade of red from the force of his laughter—if it wasn't at his own expense, Alec might be concerned.

As it stands though, he hates everyone at this table.

"This was a mistake," Alec declares, absolutely miserable. "We were  _kids,_ and I...you know what, forget it. Jace, you're the worst." Izzy smirks, obviously pleased. "Iz, you're the worst too." Magnus is snickering, a muffled, choking sound he's trying to hide in the folds of his napkin. Alec whirls, pointing at his boyfriend with outrage in his eyes. "And _you_! Traitor! You're supposed to be on my side."

Magnus's eyes widen and he smiles, tongue clicking softly in what Alec assumes is a placating gesture. It stirs unease in his gut, white-hot defensiveness making him dizzy. It's totally stupid, sure, but he's actually feeling a little betrayed here. Magnus is supposed to love Alec's siblings. Alec loves them, and he wants them all to get along.

In the past two hours, though, the three of them have been getting along a little  _too_ well, their conversation flowing from Alec's lack of relationship experience to that time when he'd whipped Jace's diaper off in the lobby of _Lightwood Lending, Inc_. because he'd seen their sitter change him and Alec wanted to be helpful. At first Jace and Isabelle were to blame for the direction of their conversation. And then Magnus, never one to be outdone, had accidentally brought up Jessica Hawkblue again, in front of Jace this time. This meant Alec had to explain to  _Jace_ about how he'd lied to both him and Isabelle, which resulted in more laughter.

 _God._  It feels like those three haven't stopped laughing about Alec in hours. Maybe he expected this from Jace and Isabelle, but from Magnus? Annoyance has Alec's hands twitching into fists under the table. He's biting back the desire to open his mouth and retaliate in a way that'll make Jace himself blush. 

"I am on your side, my darling. But oh, the sight you must've made—and your  _mother—"_

"Was pissed, yeah. We get it. Thanks to Isabelle for bringing that up for the millionth time."

He can't help it. Alec knows he's letting the frustration leech into his tone. Magnus frowns and reaches for his thigh, but Alec shrugs away from the touch.

"Alexander—"

Not even an apology.  _Enough._  The tension in Alec's stomach snaps, rubber-band taut as he lets himself embrace it.

"Don't you ' _Alexander_ ' me, Magnus Bane. I ought to tell them about the dance video you made to that Britney Spears song. Which one was it again?"

"You wouldn't," Magnus murmurs, low and dangerous. He bats his lashes at Alec, gaze heavy. "You wouldn't dare—"

"What was it again? Oh, right. Toxic." Alec smirks, winking at an outraged Magnus before looking over at Isabelle, who is leaning so far over the table Alec fears she might faceplant straight into her empty plate. "It was the cutest thing, Iz. He was maybe thirteen, and he had the fight attendant outfit and everything. Made it himself for the video, and came up with choreography. My favorite part was when he said, "It's Magnus, bitch," even though that's a line from Gimme More."

Jace explodes, tears rolling down his cheeks as he hiccups around the tiny breaths he manages to take. "Dude, Alec, how do you even know that? Oh my god. You're shitting me." A pause, and then, "This is the best day of my life."

Magnus, meanwhile, is studying the linoleum like it holds all the world's secrets. If not for the calculated smile on his lips, Alec might worry he's crossed some sort of line by sharing this with his siblings. As it stands, though, Magnus doesn't seem genuinely upset. Thoughtful, maybe. Alec leans back in his chair and waits.

When Magnus looks up, all of that relief goes straight out the window. Alec's heart drops to the sticky floors—he's burning, helpless, pinned to the chair under the sheer intent in Magnus's gaze _._ To Isabelle and Jace it might look innocent; lazy, almost. Unaffected. He's smiling, twirling an unwrapped straw between nimble, painted fingers. It's an enticing show.

Alec sees it for what it is. His toothy grin is all promise; sharp edges and an unspoken ' _we'll talk about this later'_ that has Alec wishing he'd never opened his mouth at all. He knows he's in some sort of trouble...but this is uncharted territory for them. They've never fought, not seriously. Plus, the thought of Magnus doing anything to hurt him (with words or actions) is absolutely ridiculous. He knows Magnus; knows he isn't cruel. What he doesn't know is where that leaves them now.

Luckily for Alec, he doesn't have to wait long to find out.

"You're going to regret that," Magnus announces to the table, voice cheery. Although he says it out loud, it's directed solely at Alec, a fact confirmed as Magnus leans closer, breath hot against the shell of Alec's ear. "You know how I'm going to punish you for this? I'm going to redo that damn choreography when we get back home. And you're going to have to watch, sitting there, with your hands tied behind your back. Think it's funny now? I can promise you, Alexander, you will not be laughing then."

 _Oh. Oh fuck._ Sweat drips down the curve of Alec's spine, heat rocketing through his body as his heart pounds in time with Magnus's words. He swallows, mouth dry, because  _yeah,_ now that he can picture that more clearly, it doesn't seem funny at all. Alec is simultaneously hopeful that Magnus is kidding and desperate for him to make good on his word. The fact that he's painfully hard in the span of about a minute isn't helping with this mental tug-of-war. Neither is his sister's knowing look, eyes gleaming from across the table.

Magnus leans back in his chair, clearly satisfied. Jace whistles under his breath, heat flooding to Alec's cheeks. The moment lingers in the air around them.

"Anyway, Magnus," Isabelle says, and god, Alec has never loved his sister more than he does in this moment, "Alec says you work in a travel agency? Tell me, how many times have you run into Beyoncé at some all-inclusive resort in Cancun?"

"Never, although I dohave a story about seeing Sam Smith in a Starbucks once."

The conversation carries naturally after that, stories about Magnus's work and his travels that have Izzy and Jace hanging onto every word. Alec smiles and watches Magnus gesticulate, hung up on the glint of his rings in the easy afternoon sunlight. He's telling a particularly engaging story about saving Ragnor from a bar fight, eyes alight with the thrill of being center stage.

And it's fun, and effortless, and everything Alec was hoping it would be now that they've moved on from teasing him. Magnus fits into his life like a puzzle piece, rolling his eyes at Jace like he's been enduring him his entire life, and it's such a little thing, but the sight has Alec coming undone at the seams. 

Magnus, ever-observant, is on it in a second. His voice is no more than a whisper, hand soothing up Alec's forearm on his way to tangle their fingers together.

"Alec, are you feeling alright? I'm sorry for upsetting you earlier. I assure you, that was not my intention."

Alec manages a smile. "I'm fine, Magnus. And I know. I'm not mad at you for that."

He doesn't know how to tell him what's going on inside his head, so Alec opts to leave it at that. Never one to push, Magnus lets it go, the _'later'_   hanging between them not needing to be spoken.

//

The minutes pass into days; the days into a week. They spend every second of it together. Alec buys Magnus flowers, they go on dates together, they make a blanket fort in Alec's living room and cuddle all damn day. Each morning, Alec threatens the calendar with all the indignation he has, but time passes all the same. Neither of them mention it.

One week gives way to two. The first three days pass quickly. It's not fair, it's not fair at all, but in four days' time, Magnus will be at the airport waiting for his flight home.

There's a steadily growing ache in Alec's chest, so he does the only thing he can think to do that will ease it: he applies for a passport, scheduling the interview for the day after Magnus leaves. He does it after Magnus has already fallen asleep, snoring softly in Alec's arms. It might not keep Magnus from leaving, but it will give Alec the ability to do something about the awful distance looming over their heads. He's never left the country before, but with his passport, Alec could. He could be on a flight to London in a matter of hours. If he finds himself starting to miss Magnus too much, he could just... _go_.

The thought has his heart threatening to smash straight through his ribcage. It's a first. A massive first. He's had so many of those these past few weeks.

The next morning, Alec doesn't mention it to Magnus. He's not sure why, but for now, it feels like a secret he should keep to himself.

//

"Dance with me?"

It's louder than it probably needed to be, given the way Magnus startles and drops the rose he's holding into his open suitcase. _Oops._ Alec mouths a wordless apology, trying to figure out what the hell he asked for in the first place. He'd just opened his mouth, and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Dance?" Magnus asks, smiling at Alec. "I'd love to. What's the occasion, Alexander? You once told me that dancing gives you hives. Have you experienced a change of heart?"

 _Oh shit._ Alec bites back a groan as heat rushes to his cheeks. He's not—he's definitely not a dancer. His subconscious desires can go fuck themselves.

But the sight of Magnus packing his luggage, reverently tucking the flowers Alec bought him over the course of their three weeks into the folds of a silk bathrobe...it's too much to bear. He's leaving tomorrow. This is their last night together, and fuck it, Alec doesn't want to have any regrets. 

"I've never slow danced with anyone, so I just thought. Um. I mean, Iz and I have, at Jocelyn's wedding, but not when it counted. So I'll probably be terrible, but I want to do that. With you. No occasion."

"Another first is occasion enough. I'd be honored to dance with you."

Magnus's smile is impossibly fond. He stands and crosses the room in a graceful sweep that has Alec questioning this entire idea, but all that doubt fades when he hears the song Magnus chooses for them to dance to.

Alec's heart skips a beat. Magnus extends his hand in offering and Alec takes it, the drag of their palms feeling better than anything has the right to. It suddenly occurs to Alec that he has no idea what to do with his other hand. 

"Around my waist, darling." Magnus's own arm is bent against Alec's, his fingers finding purchase in the fabric covering Alec's shoulder. "That's perfect. Just like that."

When they start to move, Alec realizes, dancing is a lot easier than he thought it would be. He hasn't stepped on Magnus's feet yet, and before long, it's not even something he's thinking about. All the worries fade away until it's just the two of them, sidestepping pairs of Magnus's shoes and the scattered remnants of his upcoming departure.

John Legend is crooning in the background, all  _ain't nobody in the world but you and I,_ and it's perfect, so perfect, that Alec closes his eyes, his hand slipping to the small of Magnus's back to press him closer. Magnus's arms twine around his neck in response. He goes, of course he does.

When Alec opens his eyes again a few moments later, overcome with the desire to kiss him, Magnus's are still closed. There are tear tracks on his cheeks. A noise escapes Alec, halfway between a sigh and a whine. He surges forward to kiss him without a second thought.

It's hot, and wet, and a lot desperate, Magnus licking into his mouth like it's the last time he'll ever get to taste him. _It's not. It can't be._  Alec moans, unashamed. There's no way he'll let this be goodbye, but he gets it, that same desperation crashing through his own veins as he tugs Magnus's head back and licks his way down the long line of Magnus's throat before latching on just underneath his jaw. 

"Alexander," Magnus pleads. Alec's teeth dig into the skin in response, a bruise blooming hot under the silk of Magnus's skin. Magnus hisses, head dropping back to give Alec even more room as he attempts to maneuver them backwards without pulling away...

Only to trip on a discarded pair of shoes, sprawling backwards onto the floor in a neat heap. Alec goes with him, as attached as they currently are. Thankfully he has the sense to roll away before Magnus takes the brunt of his weight.

"Ow," Alec says, "oh, shit, are you okay?" Magnus nods—once Alec has looked him over and determined this to be true, he relaxes, flopping back onto the floor. Then, because he's been spending every second with Magnus for the past three weeks, he grins and adds, "well, that certainly takes 'falling for me' to a new level, Magnus. You don't do things in halves, do you?"

Magnus's answering laughter is sudden and bright. It's a nice contrast to the tears from earlier, pride filling Alec's stomach with the wings of a thousand butterflies.  _He did that._ He made his boyfriend light up like a fucking supernova. There is no better feeling in the world, Alec decides, than being the one to make Magnus Bane that happy. 

"Tell me you did not just say that, Alexander. Oh, god. Ragnor is going to _love_ you." 

" _You_ love me," Alec sings, rolling over to snuggle into Magnus's side. It's a bit uncomfortable with the toe of Magnus's boot digging into his side, but a glance at the clock—just over 12 hours until Magnus has to leave for the airport—and there's nothing in the world that could make Alec move away.

"I do," Magnus says, pressing a kiss against his forehead. "You have no idea how much I do." He sighs, soft and mournful. "I miss you already, Alec. These three weeks have been some of the best I've had."

Alec buries his face in Magnus's shoulder. It's easier than looking him in the eye as the words catch in his throat. "You haven't left yet."

"Yeah, I know. But I miss you anyway."

Alec does know. He knows all too well. The two of them lay there like that for hours, trading silent kisses between them as the night passes on. Eventually, Magnus dozes off, but Alec can't manage to do the same. Not when he knows what he has to wake up to.

At 5:47am, the first golden rays of light dance across Magnus's bare back. He looks beautiful. And as much as Alec wants to curse the golden hour; damn it for shattering the dream he's been living in for three wonderful weeks...he knows he can't run from it, that it's part of what brought him to Magnus in the first place.

He only hopes it'll bring them together, again and again.

//

Isabelle takes them to the airport that morning. She says goodbye to Magnus at the train station and promises to wait for Alec there, wanting to let them have their goodbyes in the terminal on their own. 

Basically, Alec loves his sister, and the way she always gets it without having to be told. She smiles and pushes him to Magnus as Alec leans in to kiss her forehead. 

"Go on, big brother. I'll be mad if you make me cry before we make it back home."

They head into the terminal, hand in hand. Alec insists on carrying Magnus's suitcase for him. It's heavier than before, weighed down with souvenirs and the velvet blazer Magnus insisted on buying, but Alec doesn't care. It's no heavier than the goodbye he can't bring himself to say; no heavier than the 3,450 miles soon to separate them once more.

//

When they first met three weeks ago on the street in front of Alec's bodega, Magnus had been the one to cry. This time, in front of the security gate at JFK's Terminal 7, it's Alec's turn.

He's never been a crier, much less a public crier. With Magnus, though, there's not much of a choice—no more pretending; no more ignoring the reality of this situation.

It's over, their magical three weeks together. It's time for Magnus to go back home. 

"I don't want you to go," he sniffles, even though the words are pointless. "Magnus, I love you. I wish...god, this sucks." 

Alec scrubs at his face with the back of his hand, trying to pull himself together. Magnus bats his hand away in favor of pulling Alec close, his voice a fierce, choked whisper.

"And I love you, my Alexander. My darling, my angel. We'll be alright, I promise you. This isn't goodbye."

"I'll come see you. I'll visit you, too, Magnus. I love you. Thank you for—for an incredible three weeks, and the best surprise of my life. Skype me as s-soon as you land, yeah?"

Magnus's answering smile is fragmented, warm brown shining wetly in the harsh fluorescent lighting.

"It's a date," he answers, swiping tears from under Alec's eyes as he takes a step back. Back, away, towards an intimidating velvet rope, a line, and an even more intimidating TSA officer. "See you soon, Alexander."

"Yeah," Alec whispers, not looking away from Magnus until he's long gone, past the security checkpoint and likely on his way to the gate. "Yeah, Magnus. See you soon."

It's only the thought of his passport appointment tomorrow that keeps him from breaking down right there in the middle of the terminal.  _Soon,_ Alec thinks, smile slipping on his lips despite the hurt pulling raw with every breath he takes. 

 _Soon cannot come soon enough._  


	2. Alec

It's been five months since Magnus last saw Alec in person. Five months of longing, of pining, of too-long Skype calls and big lonely beds and seeing Alec everywhere no matter how irrational the thought is. The first week was the worst by far. A flash of dark hair at the tube station was enough to put a scowl on Magnus's face for the rest of the afternoon, but it was never just that one thing, was it? No, Magnus would hear Alec's laugh in the grocery store on the way home. He'd have to help a client book a flight to New York, wishing above all else that he could be the one choosing a seat and grumbling about the lack of leg room. Pieces of the three weeks he and Alec shared were cropping up at the worst times, and it did nothing but push Magnus deeper into the self-pity spiral he'd come to call his life. 

Magnus Bane does not mope. He does not dwell. And he certainly doesn't wear all black to work eight days in a row—no, that's always been Alec's thing. That's why on the ninth day post-Alec, Magnus had decided enough was enough, and bleached a blue streak into his hair.

Raphael told him he looked like a blueberry. Catarina showered him with compliments. Things had slowly started looking up after that.

Still, though, Magnus is only human—so on days where Alec is exceptionally  _himself,_ Magnus finds himself slipping just a bit. Today is shaping up to be one of those days where the universe is determined to show him everything he has to miss. 

It starts with their Skype call that evening. The first thing Magnus notices is the apologetic look on Alec's face, his cheeks flushed blood-red from the stinging December windchill.

"Hey, you." Magnus says, not wanting to think about what that look could mean. "Did you forget your scarf again?"

"It's on the chair by the window. I think. I'm fine, though, it's not that cold here." A pause, and then, "So, I got some bad news at work today."

"Luke isn't selling the bodega, is he? I thought Clary got that scholarship."

Alec sighs, visible in the freezing air. "No, it's not that. And she did get the scholarship. But Jocelyn took me to lunch the other day, and when we got there she told me...well, things are really starting to pick up. Apparently December is looking busier than ever, and there's a heavier workload than either of us anticipated. Even though Clary's tuition is paid for the semester she's still wary of bringing anyone else on when she can barely afford to sign my checks, so that leaves us short-staffed for the next few weeks. It means I can't come to London, Magnus. Not until things settle down. I want to, more than anything, and I'm so,  _so_ sorry—"

Magnus's hopes sink, heart throbbing dully.  _There it is, then._ As upsetting as the news is to him, Alec looks absolutely devastated. The need to reassure him momentarily overshadows his own crushing disappointment.

"Hey," Magnus says, hating how choked Alec's voice sounds. "Shh, Alexander. It's fine, darling. I understand completely."

"It's your birthday, though, I should be there. I  _told you_ I would be there. Not to mention your work party, and Christmas, and New Years...I'll miss it all."

"Yes, but there will be other birthdays. One every year, in fact." Magnus winks at Alec, ignoring the loneliness weighing heavily on his shoulders. Alec's lips twitch up in response. "Now my work party, that's a real shame. You know I'm planning this year's, right? You're really missing out, Alexander. The food is going to be phenomenal."

"I bet," Alec says, eyes closing. "Take lots of pictures. As for your birthday, I'll make it up to you. I will, Magnus, I promise you."

"I know you will. You never disappoint, my darling. I suppose this means I have to wait even longer to find out what you got me. You've been teasing me for weeks."

At that, Alec perks up. He grins at Magnus in a way that is strongly reminiscent of his siblings. "About that. I actually stopped by the post office today. I wouldn't make you wait, Magnus. It's your gift, and I want you to have it. The woman working there said you should have it by the 7th."

Magnus beams, feeling a little bit lighter. 

"Oh yeah? That's a day early. You're really asking a lot of my patience. Without you here to stop me I might just...open it."

Alec's smile is still wide, but he looks a lot more serious all of a sudden. It stirs something in Magnus that he doesn't have a name for; an easy anticipation creeping goosebumps up his arms. 

"You won't, Magnus. Trust me when I say it'll be worth the wait."

//

Two weeks pass by in a blur of missing Alec and promises to see each other in February. Alec reschedules his plane ticket, and forwards a copy of his new itinerary to Magnus's email. 

Magnus knows it's not Alec's fault...but his heart hurts all the same as the number in his countdown app goes up instead of down. 

All he has to do is wait. Two more months. Magnus can make it until then. In the meantime, though, his birthday is this weekend. As little as he feels like celebrating this year, Catarina insists he take the day off as planned. He agrees after seeing the shit-eating grin Raphael only gets when he's scheming. Whatever his friends have planned, Magnus knows it's all for his sake. He'll go along with anything, and he'll genuinely try to enjoy himself—well, as long as Ragnor doesn't insist on the Escape Room again. He's pretty sure Raphael and Cat won't both make it out alive if they have to relive that particular experience. Magnus isn't keen on choosing which of them gets to live.

It won't be the same without Alec by his side, but Magnus can manage to keep himself together for one day. Just two more months until they're together again. 

//

December 7th rolls around, and Magnus's package from Alec has yet to arrive, so Magnus drops by the post office to check up on it. The man assures him it'll be here by tomorrow. Alec is upset, but Magnus tells him not to worry so much—hey, at least this way, Magnus won't be tempted to open it early.

//

**| 11 am, dec. 8th |**

"Magnus."

Magnus stirs, swatting at the source of the noise. It's his day off, and damn it, he wants to sleep in.

"And now you're being ridiculous. Come on, wake up. Raphael is waiting in the living room. It's your birthday and you're wasting it in bed!"

"It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to," Magnus mumbles, face mashed into the pillow. "Tell Raph to go away. 'm sleepy."

"If that's what you want," Ragnor agrees. "Pretty sure he's gonna nick your parcel, though. He's been staring at it for the last 20 minutes—if I were you, I'd go grab it before he eats it. Up to you, my friend."

 _Nope, okay, time to wake up now._ Magnus is upright in a matter of seconds. His legs swing over the edge of the bed almost violently as he skips into the living room.

"Sorry, what was that about a parcel?" 

Raphael, who is sitting on the couch with a curiously flat rectangular box in his lap, scowls at Magnus's appearance.

"Go get dressed, Magnus. Unless you intend to go out wearing  _that._ "

Magnus flips him the bird, his good mood unshakable at the sight of the package. 

"We're not going anywhere until I open that box, Raphael. Alec has been tormenting me for months about my birthday surprise."

Raphael smirks, head shaking. He holds up a piece of white paper, and  _wait_ , is that Alec's handwriting?

"Actually," he says, looking far too smug for Magnus's liking, "we are. You see, Magnus, this box comes with instructions. And I've been entrusted to see that they're followed to the letter. So I suggest you go get dressed now, if you truly want to open it. Make sure to wear something warm."

"Entrusted?" Magnus asks, brows shooting up. "You...talked to Alec about this, beforehand?" Raphael nods, still smirking. "So that means you know what he got me." Another nod. 

Ragnor claps, his laugh rolling throughout the room. "Oh, this is delightful. Magnus, your Alec is something special indeed."

"To be in cahoots with Raphael? He must be," Magnus mumbles, slipping on an outfit with far less thought than usual. Anticipation has him caught up in a giddy sort of rush, thoughts running wild as he tries to imagine what on earth Alec has planned. If he rushes while doing his eyeliner and the wings aren't completely even...well, it's not like Raphael is going to notice.

//

Magnus blinks against the afternoon sun, reading the sign in front of him. He blinks again.

"Pizza East? In order to open my present, I have to buy you lunch?"

"Yes," Raphael says, still holding Alec's gift. Apparently, much to Magnus's chagrin, he isn't even allowed to touchthe damn thing. "Wait here. I have to go find the manager."

Raphael disappears, in search of whoever he's here to see. And Magnus...is more confused than ever.

Why would Alec's gift require him to go out to lunch with Raphael? As much as he enjoys his friend's company, Magnus has never been the most patient man—especially in the face of Alec's unhelpful 'hints', meant solely to run Magnus in a series of circles and dead end guesses. Thankfully, he doesn't have to wait long. Raphael comes back with a man in tow, the now familiar box held safely in both hands.

"Alright, Magnus. Are you ready to open your gift?"

"I've been ready for months," Magnus says, bouncing on his heels as he takes the knife Raphael is offering.

His hands shake as he cuts through several layers of tape, peeling open the top of the box to find...smoke? Steam? Magnus passes his hand through it—it's cold, and it dissipates quickly.

"Is that dry ice?"

"Go on, open the rest. Carefully. Do not flip it over."

Magnus does, lifting out the pan of dry ice and setting it aside. There's a layer of Styrofoam there that he peels back with careful hands. Once that's gone, Magnus leans over, more confused than he's ever been—only to burst into laughter so raucous, tears run down his cheeks with the force of it.

Alec sent him to a pizza restaurant because Alec sent him a pizza. A real, Brooklyn-style pizza from his favorite pizza place, De Luca's. 

"Is that—my god, Alexander—oh, how did you even manage this? Just when I think you'll never catch me off guard. That's just...oh, god."

"There's a note on the box. Go ahead and read it, so we can eat." 

Magnus grins, turning in the booth with one brow raised. "Excuse me? _We_? There is no we, my sweet songbird. That's my birthday pizza you're foolishly laying claim to." 

Raphael makes an impatient sound, gesturing at the box. Magnus flips open the lid, smiling at the sight of Alec's neat handwriting.

> _Magnus,_
> 
> _On the second night of your visit, we ordered pizza from De Luca's. You said they had the best pizza in all of New York. You also talked about how much you miss it when you're not here to eat it in person._
> 
> _You might not be here, and I might not be there, but that doesn't mean I can't take you out to lunch. I know you don't like it when I pay for everything...but I hope you'll be willing to make an exception, just this once. The nice chefs at Pizza East agreed to cook it for you. Hopefully it tastes just as good as it would here._
> 
> _I love you, Magnus. Happy birthday._
> 
> _Yours,_
> 
> _Alec Lightwood_
> 
> _PS: I couldn't have made this happen without Raphael's help. Make sure to share the pizza with him._

"Your Alec seems quite reasonable," Raphael says, voice saccharine, "and I suggest you listen to him. I'm hungry, Magnus. I haven't had De Luca's in over a year."

"I was planning on sharing from the beginning. But you knew that."

Raphael doesn't respond, eyes locked on something just over Magnus's shoulder. The smell hits him seconds before a waiter is sliding their now cooked pizza on the table in front of them—and it takes him straight back to summer; to a too-hot night spent holding hands over sticky linoleum as they ate pizza with one hand, talking about anything and everything until both of them were too tired to walk the ten blocks back to Alec's apartment. 

It hurts not having him here. But Alec knew that, and did something like this—exactly what Magnus needs—to give him a little piece of the home he's so desperately craving. 

The moment is almost perfect. The only way to improve it would be for Alec himself to make an appearance, but Magnus knows that won't be happening. Still, though. He's happy. Magnus sends Alec a quick text, a series of pizza emojis and heart eyes, but gets no response. It's not unusual. Alec is at work. He'll reply later, like he always does when he gets busy. 

For now, Magnus slides the phone back into his pocket, settling into a third slice of pizza and chatting with one of his best friends 

//

"You're wrong, Raphael, and I'm disturbed by it. Pineapple belongs in cocktails. It belongs in a pina colada. It does NOT belong on—hang on, is that Catarina?"

Catarina's royal blue heels click against the floor as she approaches their table. She's still wearing her work clothes, and it's barely past noon, which means she's probably not here on her lunch break. Not to mention the distance between Pizza East and their office building...it doesn't make sense. Magnus zeroes in on the box in her hands, medium-sized and post-marked. 

"Hi, Magnus. Happy birthday." She leans down to kiss his cheek, not bothering to sit in the empty space Magnus creates for her on the bench. "Nope, no need for that. Grab your coat. I need you to come with me."

Magnus stares at her, trying to make sense of the details.  _Work clothes, out-of-the-way, cardboard box._   

"Are you taking me to work?"

"No, love. You have the day off and I don't plan on taking it from you." Catarina smiles, fingers wrapping around Magnus's bicep to tug him up when he continues to stare. "There we are. Coat on, Magnus. We'll be late for our appointment. It's nearly half twelve by now."

"I suppose you won't be telling me what sort of 'appointment', is that right?"

"Correct." Catarina grins, scrutinizing Magnus's reluctance with a careful eye. "Oh, alright. Since you need more motivation, here. I was planning on giving this to you later."

Magnus takes the white envelope in his hands, lifting the square flap. His eyes widen at what's inside.

"Cat, this is—"

"You've been asking to come along on an exploratory trip for months now," she says, voice softer than Magnus can ever remember hearing. "But I figured you'd settle for a nice holiday with Alec instead. The vouchers are worth £700 a piece and can be used at any Secrets resort in the Caribbean. They're all-inclusive. If you're open to recommendations, Aruba is beautiful in February."

The tears come to his eyes unbidden. Magnus buries his face in the shoulder of Catarina's peacoat as her arms loop around his back.

"This is incredible, Cat. And generous. 'Thank you' doesn't seem to cover the bases."

"We're travel agents, Magnus. It goes without saying that I got a good deal. Now, get that coat on. We really do have to go." She's holding the box again, cradling it almost protectively. "Unless you don't want to open this one?"

"Alright, now you're really spoiling me," Magnus says, shrugging on his coat. Raphael waves them off without a second thought. "Two presents? Don't tell me that one is the Louis Vuitton passport cover I've been eyeing off Bond..."

Catarina's answering grin is sharp and deadly as she turns to him, holding up the box in question. Warning bells go off in Magnus's mind, accompanied by the strangest sense of déjà vu. That feeling only intensifies at the white slip of paper she produces from the bottom of the box.

"No, it's not. And I didn't get you two presents, Magnus. This one is from Alec."

//

Magnus and Catarina end up in an art gallery in north Soho. It's a small, non-assuming building, and at first, Magnus isn't sure how Alec even found this place, much less  _why_ he chose to send him here. When they enter the room, though, Magnus gets it, realization hitting him as the ground threatens to give way beneath his trembling legs.

"It's called 'clockhand shadows.' Beautiful, yeah? The intro booklet cites her partner in Amsterdam as the inspiration behind her work." 

Magnus reaches out, Catarina's fingers tangling in his without having to ask. He doesn't need her to tell him what the installation is about. He can feel it in the room, as acute an ache as his longing for Alec is. In particular, he feels drawn to a piece in the corner, labelled 'wish.' It's far from the largest or most extravagant thing, but Magnus walks to it nonetheless, Cat falling into step beside him. 

There's a blue plastic cup sitting on a platform, illuminated from above by a single amber spotlight. Two toothbrushes rest on opposite edges of the cup, touching at the ends of the plastic handles. The bristles on one are slightly bent from use. It's a simple piece with no further explanation. Magnus doesn't need one.  

"That's lovely. It makes me miss someone, and I don't even have someone to miss."

"Yeah," Magnus responds, words clumsy on the tip of his tongue, "it's nice." Then, because he's one well-timed 'are you alright' away from full-on ugly crying, Magnus decides to switch gears. "Speaking of wishes, what boxes does my darling want me to tick before I get to open that one?"

"Oh, this old thing? All you had to do was agree to come here with me. You can open it now if you'd like."

"Given that I have no clue what to expect, maybe we should step outside first?”

The look Catarina gives him is soft, enveloping Magnus in a happy sort of warmth. She nods, looping her arm through the crook of his as they walk outside together.

“Here you go, Magnus. Happy birthday.”

This box isn't taped, so all Magnus has to do is untuck the cardboard flaps. Alec's note is the first thing he sees.

> _“And one by one the nights between our separated cities are joined to the night that unites us.”_
> 
> _I couldn't be with you today, Magnus, no matter how much I wanted to be. But it's your birthday, and I want it to be amazing. And grand. And everything you are, basically._
> 
> _I hope you and Cat had an amazing time at the exhibit. Jace's girlfriend Clary told me about it, and I knew it would mean as much to you as it did to me. She actually helped me pick out the gift, too. It's not like the stuff you usually wear but I thought it was nice, so I got one for you. And one for me, with an M on it. I have it on right now, so in that sense, it's almost like we're together._
> 
> _Is this too cheesy? Izzy is laughing right now. Oh well. As long as you like it, she can laugh all she wants._
> 
> _Can't wait to see you when the night is ours to share._
> 
> _Yours,_
> 
> _Alec Lightwood_

"Oh," Magnus says, words catching in his throat at the sight of a red velvet jewelry box. His hands can't move fast enough, cardboard clattering to the ground as he tries to open it. Inside, nestled carefully against white silk, sits a tiny gold 'A' on a gold bracelet. "Oh, my darling..."

"I never knew Alec was such a romantic," Catarina comments, reaching for the bracelet to fasten it. "It's lovely, Magnus. What a thoughtful gift."

"I knew. I always did. And I'm lucky to have him."

"He's lucky to have you—and smart, too, since he seems to realize it. You deserve this, Magnus. You deserve all the happiness this world has to offer."

Magnus channels his inner Raphael, grumbling about Cat being a sap as he pulls her into a tight hug. It doesn't do much to keep the tears at bay, but it makes Cat smile, so Magnus figures not all is lost.

"Yeah," Magnus says, smiling at the sight of Alec's initial pressed against his pulsepoint. "You know, Cat, as much as you tell me that, I think it's finally starting to sink in."

//

The two of them are walking down the sidewalk arm-in-arm when Dot rounds the corner, cheeks flushed from the cold. Magnus's jaw drops. Then his eyes drift down to the small box she's carrying, unassuming on any other day—but on this day in particular, it's all Magnus needs to figure things out.

"Alec," he manages, disbelief stretching his lips into an impossible grin. Dot laughs, throwing her arms around his neck. 

"Dot, actually, but I'll take that as a compliment, given how gone you are over him. But while we're on the subject, he asked me to help him with something today. Feeling up to it?"

Words are escaping him, so he nods in response, thankful when Dot gives him a knowing smile and leads them down the street. She doesn't mention where they're going, and after Cat's textbook silence on the art gallery, Magnus figures asking will get him nowhere. It's exhilarating, though, the intrigue of it all. And to think he'd planned on spending his birthday in bed...

It occurs to Magnus that he forgot to tell Catarina goodbye. He stops and spins around, but by the time he finds the corner they'd stopped at, his friend is long gone. 

//

Dot brings Magnus to a spa. They get manicures together, and spend time catching up. He hasn't realized how much he's missed Dot these past few weeks, or how little time he's actually spent with his friends recently. But today, with Raphael, and Catarina, and now Dot...

It's been nice. Exactly what Magnus needed to stop moping about Alec's absence. And to think, Alec himself planned it all. 

Dot drops him off at his eerily quiet apartment, with instructions to rest up and pick out something nice to wear for tonight. She doesn't elaborate on what sort of 'nice' he should aim for, which complicates the task at hand, but if there's anything this day has taught Magnus it's to enjoy things he cannot predict or plan for. Still, though, he has a lot of questions.

Is this another Alec-sponsored event? Magnus has spent quality time with each of his close friends today, save for Ragnor...but he DOES live with him, so maybe Alec left him out on purpose? There's also a chance this could have nothing to do with Alec. Dot seemed to know what would be happening tonight. It's perfectly in character for her to orchestrate a surprise evening of her own. In that case, it's more likely they'll be enjoying a late dinner than going out to a club. 

The outfit Magnus ends up going with is definitely more on the 'formal' side of his wardrobe: his deep burgundy button down is thicker than many of his silk blouses, with black square buttons Magnus fastens up to the base of his throat and a relatively plain black blazer. The pants, however, are his statement piece for the evening. They're silver and shimmery, glinting against the length of his legs with every step he takes. He snaps a quick picture to send Alec. Despite not hearing from him all day Magnus has been texting him periodically, letting him know just how much he appreciates each and every surprise.

Magnus's phone chimes, a quick three-bell sounding Alec's reply. The mascara wand in his hand clatters to the counter in his rush to get to the phone. Magnus doesn't care one bit.

He grins when he sees the line of heart-eyed emojis. Another message chimes in—a string of fire emojis, followed by a single eggplant. Magnus laughs out loud and types his reply. 

> 9:03pm _\- See something you like, my love?_
> 
> 9:03pm _\- I'm so happy to hear from you, Alexander. Your timing is impeccable. I've been trying to decide what to wear for the past hour, and it looks like I have a winner._

He waits a few moments, but Alec doesn't respond. Magnus smiles anyway, locking the screen of his phone and slipping it into his pocket.

//

Magnus's buzzer rings at 10:30. He picks up the receiver, holding his breath.

It's Dot on the other end. He takes the stairs two at a time to keep her from waiting long.

"Ready to go, handsome?" 

"Of course. Although I don't have a clue where we're going. Your outfit isn't giving me any hints, either. How unfair of you."

"What's unfair is how incredible you look in those pants," Dot teases. Magnus notices she has both hands held behind her back. He's just about to ask about it when her hand comes out in front of him, wrapped in a pretty silk Versace scarf Magnus recognizes instantly.

"I gave that to you for your birthday last year. You look lovely in it, although I never thought to pair it with that shift. Are you planning on wearing it around your neck?"

"No, silly. I might not have your eye for fashion, but even I know when two colors clash. I didn't bring it for me." At Magnus's confused pout, Dot elaborates. "I want you to wear it. Actually, I'm going to have to blindfold you for a bit."

Magnus grins, blood humming neon-bright through his veins.

"Is that right? What about my makeup, darling? You know how hard I worked on it."

Dot waves the scarf in the air between them. "Yes. And I also know your setting spray is practically bulletproof, so that argument is out the window." 

"Mm, that's true." Magnus sighs, shrugging as he leans down to grant Dot access. "Alright, go ahead. But only because it's you leading me and not Raphael. You might think he has an appreciation for clothing with all the suits he wears, but you'd be wrong...he'd just as quickly dump me in the Thames if given the opportunity to do so."

"Rest assured, Magnus. I promise to deliver you, safe and dry. It's just you and I for a bit. There, all done." 

Magnus's eyes are closed, but he feels the silk, cool against his skin as she knots it. Her hand is warm as it folds around his.

"Lead the way, Dorothea." 

//

There are three things Magnus is certain of, with or without his vision: first, he's certain they're in a club. He felt the thrum of the bass through the soles of his boots the second they stepped foot in the building. Plus, the music is far too loud for it to be anything else. Magnus also knows they're at Pandemonium. It's his favorite place to go when he wants to dance, so it makes sense for Dot to bring him to this club in particular. Ragnor gives his presence away by laughing, which gives Magnus his third and final clue. It manages to catch him off guard, though. Ragnor hates clubs. Magnus can't remember the last time his roommate has gone out without being thoroughly bribed first.

Before he has the chance to figure out anything else, the blindfold is gone. A pink strobe catches him in the eye and he blinks at the suddenness of it all.

"SURPRISE!" 

Magnus sees Ragnor first—he's smirking, one arm wrapped around Catarina's shoulders. Raphael is there too, holding a glass of red wine that's half-drained already.

And then there's Dot, who looks far too pleased with herself for this to be anything but her idea. 

His heart is so full at the sight of his friends, his little family, gathered in his all-time favorite club. Magnus's answering smile is megawatt. The happiness has him feeling light on his feet; dizzy with it all before he's had a drop to drink.

"Just when I think the well of surprises has run dry for the day...Ragnor Fell, standing in a club. How much did she pay you?"

"Fifty quid," Ragnor announces cheerily. "Lucky you, that includes a dance. Shall we?"

"I'd be honored," Magnus says, kissing Ragnor's hand with a flourish. Raphael finds this hysterical. Magnus shoots him a quick wink as he tugs his roommate into the mass of dancers—Raphael's expression sobers at the unspoken promise in it; a certain ' _you're on deck'_ that has Magnus holding back a laugh of his own.

Ragnor attempts an honest-to-god merengue to a T-Pain song. It's ridiculous, and incredible, and not at all what Magnus anticipated for this evening, but he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Not even a plane ticket.

//

"You know I adore you," Ragnor says, approaching Magnus at the bar a bit later that evening, "but I hate Pandemonium. I'm leaving, before I get a headache from this terrible music."  

Magnus hugs him, chin hooking over his shoulder. "Thank you for coming. Even if Dot had to pay you, I'm happy to have you here, my sweet cabbage."

"Mm," Ragnor hums, smirking. "Flattery will get you everywhere. Keep going with that and I'll give you your birthday gift before I head home."

"You mean to tell me your presence isn't my present?"

"Originally that was the plan. But you know how competitive I am, Magnus. I decided to escalate, after learning of Catarina's rather generous gift. Desperate times and all that."

"By all means," Magnus grins, setting his martini glass down on the edge of the bar. "Upstage her. She's right—oh, Cat, perfect timing! Come here, darling. Ragnor has something to say."

Catarina moves to Ragnor's side, appraising him with a slow sweep of her eyes. Ragnor doesn't flinch. His eyes are locked on Magnus's, face aglow in the hazy purple club lighting.

For a moment, Magnus is expecting another post-marked parcel. The cream-colored envelope Ragnor hands him is heavy and clean—with Magnus's own name written in Ragnor's slanted cursive.

"That's all, Fell? Your delivery was a bit flat," Catarina comments. "Go on then. Open it up. Let's have a look inside."

The flap lifts easily, revealing an ornate-looking card from Ragnor's personal stationary set. Magnus drags his fingers over the raised lettering of his best friend's name for a moment, smile fixed on his lips. Knowing Ragnor, there's nothing short of a novel written inside, full of metaphor and irony and a personalized sonnet about their friendship to boot. As much as he teases Magnus for being emotional...deep down, Ragnor has always been the same. It's part of the reason they get on so well. He opens the card with painted fingers, pausing to make sure nothing falls out. 

"I win," Magnus reads aloud, brow creasing with confusion. His eyes rise to meet Ragnor's, a million questions ready to go, but it's Dot he sees first, beaming at something Magnus can't see.

It's the expression on her face, more than anything, that makes Magnus want to turn around. He pivots, heart smashing against his ribs so hard he feels they'll crack. And there, looking far better than anyone has the right to, is his Alexander, dark-haired and smiling and  _not in New York, what the hell—_

Magnus screams, hands coming to his throat as Ragnor's card flutters to the sticky floor. God, he's glad he'd put the damn glass down. In the next breath he's launching himself at Alec, leaping up and into his waiting arms.

"Oof," Alec huffs, hands sliding under Magnus's thighs as he holds him. "Hey, you. Happy late birthd _—"_

Their lips crash together as Magnus presses against him, a litany of  _fuck, fuck, fuck_  slipping from Magnus's lips inbetween desperate kisses. It's messy and uncoordinated, their teeth clinking together from the impact but Magnus doesn't care one bit _—_ and if the way Alec is gripping his thighs is any indication, Alec is just as indifferent. 

"Gross," Raphael says, grunting softly when someone _—_ probably Catarina _—_ elbows him in the side. Magnus doesn't bother to acknowledge it. He does, however, need to breathe. And start asking all the questions he has before Magnus forgets how words work. Pulling away from Alec is no easy feat, but Magnus manages, eyes wide as he takes in the sight of his boyfriend. Real, solid, and in front of him. Oh, Magnus has so many questions.

"You're real," he starts, hand coming out to smooth against Alec's cheek. "I can't believe you're here right now."

"You said the same thing last time we met, Magnus." Alec says, voice sweet. "But I can't believe it either. If that helps. I've been planning this for a while now."

The words are enough to stop Magnus in his tracks.  

"A while? Let's start from the beginning. How long have you been here? When did this all start?" 

Alec smiles, setting Magnus down. His hands drag down Magnus's biceps in a soothing motion but it does little to calm the blood rushing through his veins.  

"Well, I bought the tickets the day I sent you that other itinerary. The day I told you I couldn't come, remember?" Magnus does. That day had put him in a funk for weeks. "And I got here early this morning. Maybe...8ish? Ragnor picked me up at the airport, and brought me to the apartment so I could take a nap while you went out with your friends." 

"You were in my apartment." Alec nods. "This morning, when I was getting ready. You were just a room away? And later, too?"

"Believe me, Magnus, I came so close to blowing it. All I could think about was you on the other side of that door. I even had to leave, at one point, to keep myself from coming to find you."

"Fuck," Magnus groans, head dropping to Alec's shoulder. "What about the itinerary you sent? Also, you said _—Alexander,_ you told me you wouldn't be here for my birthday! Traitor! I can't believe you!" 

Alec's smirk is all Jace as he holds up his wrist. Magnus bought Alec that damn watch himself.  _12:07am._

"And I wasn't, not officially," Alec says. "It's past midnight now. As for the itinerary, Max has gotten pretty decent at Photoshop in the past few months." Magnus groans again. Despite the lengths Alec went to in order to keep Magnus in the dark...he still feels like he should've known, somehow. Alec has been mere feet away from him  _all day._ Sleeping in Ragnor's bed; drinking tea from their shared coffee cups. It's a bitter pill to swallow.

"Listen, Magnus. Today wasn't about me, and I wanted to keep it that way. You've been working so hard lately, and I can tell you've been feeling down...so I wanted you to have a fun day. With your friends, your family. You had a good day, right?"  

"The best day," Magnus says earnestly. "It was incredible from start to finish. I'm still trying to work out how you got that pizza from Brooklyn to London without it getting ruined."

That's enough to coax a chuckle out of Raphael in the background. Alec laughs too. "Magic," he says, leaning in to press a kiss to Magnus's forehead. Magnus's heart stutters in his chest.

"But seriously. I didn't want to be here for your birthday because I knew it would mean more if I wasn't. And I was right. Seeing you with Raphael, with Cat, with Dot...it told me everything I needed to know. I..."

Tears come to Magnus's eyes as he looks down, tracing the length of Alec's forearm with a single fingertip until _—there,_ the same thin gold chain looped around his own wrist _._ It brings a million words to the tip of his tongue.

_You're everything to me._

_Thank you for knowing what I need before I knew it myself._

_Having you here right now was worth the miserable week thinking you wouldn't be here at all; was worth the miserable five months before that of distance and ocean and shitty internet connections._

"I get it," he says instead, voice thick with emotion. "I love you so much, Alexander. What you did for me today...I couldn't ask for more. Thank you for an unforgettable birthday."

"I love you too," Alec murmurs, nuzzling Magnus's cheek. "I think you should probably talk to Raphael now, before he and Cat kill each other. They've been arguing for a good five minutes."

"And ruin the best part of Ragnor's evening, plus his chance to gloat? Not a chance. We'll let them be for a bit. Dance with me?"

"Sure. Although I have to warn you, I'm terrible at, um. This sort of dancing."

Magnus's smile melts at the edges, turning into something sharper. This is one of his favorite facets of Alexander _—_ one minute he's all easy confidence, every bit the born leader, and the next he's as shy as they come. He sees Alec swallow; feels him shiver despite the swarms of people on either side of them. 

"Don't worry, love. All you have to do is hold onto me, and the rest will come to you." 

"And if it doesn't?"

Magnus's hands go to Alec's beltloops, tugging him close in a burst of movement. He grinds up into him with zero hesitation, relishing in the broken off gasp that falls from Alec's lips as his hands go to Magnus's hips. 

"See," Magnus says, doing it again, "it's as easy as _—oh,_ as easy as that."

Alec's eyes are dark, sweat starting to bead at his hairline _—_ and Magnus gets it,  _oh,_ he does. He's missed his boyfriend in every way there is to miss a person. Alec licks his lip in a sweep Magnus tracks with his eyes. It's an invitation and a challenge, one that Magnus is eager to explore.

"Okay, let's dance."

//

"You know," Alec says, still sweaty and panting as they fall back into Magnus's bed together later that night, "I didn't come all the way to London just because it's your birthday."

Magnus is exhausted, but he pushes himself up on an elbow anyway. It's been a long five months without seeing Alec's face in-person and he's not about to waste an opportunity now.

"Is that right? Fancy a bit of London Calling, Alexander? Did Big Ben catch your London Eye?"

"Wrong, and your puns are terrible. Like Jace-level terrible. Obviously, I'm here for your work party." Alec's smirking, even though his eyes are closed. "You keep talking about how good the food is going to be...well, I wasn't about to miss out on that."

"Ah," Magnus says, clicking his tongue. "My work party. Obviously. Here, in the excitement of the day, I'd nearly forgotten about it."

Alec's eyes open, holding Magnus's in a steely gaze. 

"Bullshit," he says. Magnus's laughter is loud and sudden in the quiet of the night. "You've been planning that party for months. I bet you've had it all sorted since Thanksgiving, if not earlier."

"You know me so well, darling. It's one of the things I love most about you." 

At that, Alec softens. His joking demeanor gives way to an easy smile as his hand slides up to drag through Magnus's hair. 

"And I love you. I was kidding, by the way. I'm sure the work party will be a lot of fun, but I'm here for you, Magnus. Everything else is just a nice bonus. In fact, I wouldn't complain if you wanted to skip it. I can think of a few other things we could do in that time..."

"Alexander! You're insatiable," Magnus laughs, settling against Alec's side with a content sigh. Alec's arms wrap around him and tug him even closer. 

"Only when it comes to you. It's unfair, Magnus. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met, and the loveliest, and you live halfway across the world."

" _'And so our treasure is disinterred in shadow or light, and so our kisses kiss life—all love is enclosed in our love, all thirst ends in our embrace.'_ " Magnus whispers the words into Alec's collarbone, softer than kisses against his skin. Alec shivers and tightens his grip.

" _Ode and Burgeonings,"_ Alec murmurs. "You read it after I sent it to you?"

Magnus's eyes close. It's easy, to fall back into this _—_ into them; MagnusandAlec, no matter how much time has passed between their last meeting.

"I did. After the second note I did some research. I was curious. It's a beautiful poem, Alexander."  _Almost as lovely as you._ "And an apt one. ' _Walls that we did not cross, so that life, afterward, could put all the seas and the earth between us, and we could come together in spite of space, step by step, seeking each other, from one ocean to another_...'"

Alec cuts him off with a fierce kiss. Apparently, reciting poetry is a turn-on of his. Magnus makes a quick note of it with the last bit of brainpower he has before losing himself to the sensation entirely, letting Alec pull him under, under, under until there's nothing but the two of them, hands clasped like the world is trying to tear them apart.

 _To hell with the world_ , Magnus thinks, ' _And here we survive._ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deadline? What deadline? (AKA I'm trash and I can't post on time to save my life, sorry I'm like this?) 
> 
> BUT HEY, this is the end! We did it! I hope you enjoyed part 2 :-) 
> 
> There's at least one one-shot (boy that looks funny to type) planned for this verse, but who knows what'll happen when I'm trying to work on other (big) projects, haha. If you're interested, though...the one-shot MIGHT have something to do with Britney Spears. Yep. I'm just gonna leave that one there.
> 
> I'm [aleclove](https://aleclove.tumblr.com) on Tumblr if you're interested in following! There's a playlist for itgh [here, ](https://open.spotify.com/user/1210120495/playlist/4AiQPX5XVVzI8BJGrldul6)too. 
> 
> See you next time! 
> 
> ♡ Bee

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm actually posting something I wrote, but it's out there now, so it's too late to take it back. Hopefully you enjoyed it, please feel free to leave comments/bookmark/feedback! This is unbeta-ed, so all formatting/grammatical errors are all mine. Also, I'm not (nor have I ever been) in an ldr myself, but I did the best I could by watching loooooots of airport surprise videos and crying the entire time :-)
> 
> I'm [aleclove](https://aleclove.tumblr.com) on Tumblr if you'd like to follow! I also made a playlist for this fic [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/1210120495/playlist/4AiQPX5XVVzI8BJGrldul6) if anyone is interested :-) 
> 
> Again, thank you for reading. Part 2 (an epilogue, taking place a few months later- the chapters can be read as one-shots) will be posted sometime next week.
> 
> ♡ Bee


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